World's Edge, the development studio best known for its work on the Age of Empires franchise, has been hit by a wave of redundancies after the company was moved under the Activision umbrella. According to reports, just under half of the studio’s workforce was affected by the cuts, marking a significant shake‑up for the team that has been building real‑time strategy experiences for years. The news broke when former Creative Director Adam Isgreen, a veteran with sixteen years of experience at Microsoft, took to the community platform Reset Era to share the details. Posting under the verified handle Tempus Chaoti, Isgreen disclosed that he and roughly fifty percent of his colleagues at World’s Edge had been let go as part of the restructuring.
He later echoed the same sentiment on LinkedIn, describing his feelings as "disappointed that this is the way the time with World’s Edge and Age ends for myself and many of my talented teammates that were also impacted." In his LinkedIn statement, Isgreen also highlighted the optimism that had driven the studio’s recent projects. "We had some great plans for what's next, and I hope the team that remains can rise to the occasion down the line," he wrote, expressing both a sense of loss and a hopeful outlook for the remaining staff. World’s Edge is not the only studio caught up in Xbox’s broader reorganization effort.
In a recent update, Xbox announced that several of its first‑party studios, including Rare and the Halo development team, would be transferred to Activision as part of a strategic alignment. Activision President Rob Kostich welcomed the move, stating, "We're thrilled to welcome Halo, Rare, and World’s Edge to Activision.
It's an honour and a responsibility that we do not take lightly. These teams and their games have inspired fans around the world for decades." The restructuring package was sizable. A total of 268 positions were eliminated across Halo Studios, other first‑party developers, and various divisions of Xbox Game Studios. The cuts were part of a larger effort to streamline operations and focus resources on core franchises and upcoming titles.
Among the studios affected, Ninja Theory was announced to be shutting down entirely, while Undead Labs transitioned to an independent model. Even though Undead Labs gained independence, the company also reported a substantial number of redundancies as part of the transition, underscoring the breadth of the workforce reductions. The statements from the impacted studios emphasized the talent and dedication of the employees who were let go. In the case of Undead Labs, the developer praised its staff, saying, "They are exceptionally talented developers who have poured years into the State of Decay franchise: solving hard problems, looking after one another, and helping shape both this game and this studio." For World’s Edge, the layoffs come at a pivotal moment.
The studio has been instrumental in delivering new installments and expansions for Age of Empires, a series that has maintained a passionate fan base since its inception. The reduction in staff raises questions about the studio’s capacity to continue delivering large‑scale updates or new titles in the near future. However, the remaining team members appear determined to push forward, guided by the optimism expressed by Isgreen and the broader industry support for the franchise. Industry analysts suggest that the move to Activision could eventually bring new resources and distribution channels to World’s Edge, potentially offsetting the short‑term pain of the layoffs.
Activision’s extensive publishing network and experience with global releases might enable the studio to reach wider audiences and explore new gameplay directions for Age of Empires. Yet, the transition also brings cultural and operational challenges, as the studio must align its development pipelines with Activision’s standards and expectations. The broader context of Xbox’s restructuring reflects a shifting landscape in the gaming industry, where major publishers are consolidating assets to better compete in a market dominated by live services, subscription models, and high‑budget releases.
By moving studios like World’s Edge, Rare, and Halo under Activision, Microsoft appears to be positioning itself to leverage cross‑studio collaborations and streamline decision‑making processes. For the employees who were let go, the situation is understandably difficult. Many have spent years honing their craft on the Age of Empires series, contributing to the design of intricate civilizations, balancing complex economies, and creating historically grounded narratives. The loss of such expertise is felt not only by the studio but also by the community of players who have come to expect high‑quality strategy experiences.
Looking ahead, the remaining World’s Edge team will need to reassess its project timelines, reallocate responsibilities, and possibly adjust its creative roadmap. The studio’s leadership has signaled a commitment to continue supporting the franchise, but the exact nature of future releases—whether new titles, expansions, or live‑service updates—remains to be clarified. In summary, World’s Edge’s recent layoffs represent a significant moment in the studio’s history, triggered by a strategic shift that sees the studio joining Activision’s portfolio. While nearly half of its staff have been let go, the remaining developers are poised to carry forward the legacy of Age of Empires, buoyed by a blend of hope, resilience, and the promise of new opportunities within a larger corporate framework.