Reports Indicate King Staff Laid Off Will Be Replaced by AI Tools They Helped Develop

Insiders at King have revealed that employees laid off due to Microsoft's recent redundancies will be replaced by the very AI tools they helped create. Speaking to Mobilegamer.biz, a staff member noted that level designers who spent months developing tools for faster level creation have been let go, only for those tools to now replace them. The same applies to the copywriting team, which is being downsized as AI tools take over tasks they previously handled. Approximately 200 staff members are believed to have been laid off from King, but sources suggest the actual number could be higher. An internal survey reportedly found low morale among employees, which has since plummeted following the cuts. The redundancies primarily affect middle management, user experience, and narrative copywriting, with about half of the Farm Heroes Saga team in London set to leave. Some senior staff have been placed on gardening leave until September, when a new organizational structure will be announced. King has been exploring AI tools for some time and acquired AI firm Peltarion in 2022. Last June, the head of King's AI Labs mentioned that AI was being used to playtest Candy Crush Saga, providing designers with insights into the game experience before release. While the company sees AI as a co-pilot for designers, the recent layoffs have raised questions about the role of human designers in the future.