Xbox underwent major restructuring this week, closing Ninja Theory and laying off staff across Halo Studios and World's Edge, while reassigning studios like Obsidian to Bethesda and others to Activision. Gaming communities expressed concern about potential changes to creative direction and monetization under new management, with particular sadness over Ninja Theory's closure despite recently showcasing the new Hellblade game.
Ninja Theory, developer of the Hellblade series, is entering consultation for a proposed closure after two separate acquisition agreements fell through. The studio, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2018, had been put up for sale following initial Xbox layoffs in July. The closure affects the development of Senua, a new Hellblade game announced just months earlier.