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Microsoft Axes Blizzard Mobile Team, Warcraft Rumble Support Dies After Shocking Xbox Layoffs

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The aftermath of the recent Xbox job cuts is still being felt, and it’s particularly affecting Activision Blizzard and their mobile projects. Just under a year since its release, “Warcraft Rumble,” a mobile tower defense spin-off based in the “Warcraft” universe, will no longer receive additional content. Microsoft has confirmed that the game will transition to a phase where only live operations are supported, meaning there will be no new expansions or updates in the pipeline.

As stated in a memo from Blizzard President Johanna Faries, the game “Warcraft Rumble” is no longer being developed and will not receive any new content. This decision has put an end to Blizzard’s hopes for the game achieving long-term success. A small group of team members are being reassigned within Blizzard, while others have been let go, with unnamed sources suggesting that as many as 100 employees could be affected. It is said that some staff learned about their termination when their Slack accounts were deactivated.

As a movie critic, I find myself deeply concerned about the latest developments within Microsoft’s gaming division. The recent round of layoffs, as confirmed by IGN, has left a significant impact on divisions such as Bethesda, King, and others under the Xbox umbrella. Furthermore, according to Bloomberg’s reports, a highly anticipated massively multiplayer online RPG in production at ZeniMax Online Studios, creators of The Elder Scrolls Online, has been unfortunately scrapped. This trend is becoming increasingly disheartening.

Currently, the mobile division of Blizzard Entertainment has been significantly reduced, and their planned 2023 game titled “Warcraft Rumble” seems to have been put on hold, leaving only its concept behind. This suggests a major transformation in Microsoft’s approach to gaming.

In her internal memo, Faries stated that Rumble has faced difficulties in reaching the required size for long-term sustainability, even though the entire team has put in a great deal of effort and worked extremely hard since its launch.

The game was under production for a span of nine years, aiming to emulate the success of Hearthstone, which demonstrated Blizzard’s capability to excel in the mobile gaming sector. As per Bloomberg’s reports from 2022, Rumble and other mobile projects were significant factors that drew Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for approximately $69 billion.

Currently, it’s clear that the game Rumble has essentially ceased to exist, and prior to its launch, another mobile game from Blizzard, modeled after Pokémon Go, was also scrapped. This implies that both of Blizzard’s main mobile projects have now failed, marking a significant shift in strategy, just a few months after Microsoft emphasized mobile expansion as a crucial aspect of their business growth.

According to reports, both Blizzard’s customer service and marketing units also experienced cuts in this recent round. Teams working on Overwatch features, however, seem to be unaffected for the time being – although they had previously been affected during the layoffs in January 2024.

In the past 18 months, Xbox has experienced four significant rounds of layoffs, resulting in more than 8,000 gaming-related job losses within Microsoft following the completion of the Activision Blizzard deal. Among the projects affected are Perfect Dark, Everwild, and now the ZeniMax MMO, which have either been canceled or downsized. Studios such as Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks have also been closed. It seems that Blizzard’s mobile division may be next on the list for reductions.

Faries explained that adjustments such as these might pose challenges in finding our way forward. However, today’s update doesn’t negate the incredible effort and commitment demonstrated by our skilled team members. Joining forces, we will persevere in shaping a vibrant and creatively driven future for players everywhere.

However, for the several hundred developers who have recently lost their jobs, as well as the gamers whose favorite games were left unfinished, those words might sound empty and meaningless.

With Microsoft pushing ahead with plans for next-generation consoles and a significant role at Gamescom, there are still uncertainties: What exactly is Xbox’s current strategy? How much more can the creative aspect of the business tolerate before it reaches its limit? And when will gamers finally witness the “promised bright future” that continues to be mentioned—while the games and teams they value are gradually disappearing behind the scenes?

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2025-07-03 21:55

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