Amazon Downsizes Gaming Division by 180 Positions

Amazon Games has undergone a significant restructuring, resulting in the loss of 180 jobs within its gaming workforce. Sources close to the matter, as reported by Aftermath, indicate that the decision impacted employees working on the Crown Channel and those responsible for game growth. Amazon has confirmed the layoffs, which include the entire team behind the Amazon-backed Twitch channel, Crown Channel. In an internal communication, Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann stated, "Customer feedback has made it clear that providing free games on a monthly basis is a top priority, prompting us to refocus our Prime benefits accordingly. This shift in our business strategy necessitates adjustments to our resource allocation, leading to the elimination of approximately 180 roles." This development is part of a larger trend of layoffs in the video game industry this year. Recently, Unity announced job cuts despite revenue growth, Digital Extremes let go of 30 employees, and Ubisoft implemented 124 redundancies across its VFX and IT departments.