Microsoft's layoffs at World's Edge studio, which oversees the Age of Empires franchise, appear to have resulted in the cancellation of a new Age of Empires game. The studio lost at least half its staff, including creative director Adam Isgreen, and was moved under Activision's control. LinkedIn posts from former employees suggest an unspecified next project was shelved.
Microsoft laid off 268 Xbox employees across multiple studios, including nearly half of World's Edge, the developer behind Age of Empires. Creative Director Adam Isgreen, who spent 16 years at Microsoft, was among those affected and announced his departure on social media.