Structural changes and economic cuts within Xbox have claimed their next victim. According to information published by Bloomberg and several reliable sources, Microsoft has decided to shut down the renowned "Ninja Theory" studio, known for the "Hellblade" series. Although employees were given the bad news at an internal meeting held on Monday, the team hopes a new buyer can be found to save the studio.
However, the matter does not end with a single studio. According to a report by "Bloomberg", several other studios within Xbox, including "Compulsion Games" and "Double Fine", are currently in active talks with Microsoft leadership to leave the company and resume operating independently.
These shutdowns and negotiations come after Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty warned of a "restructuring" at Xbox last week. Listing the many challenges facing the Xbox business, the leadership announced the start of a significant period of "renewal" within the brand. Xbox officials admitted that the company had expanded excessively and that the component crisis in hardware production had sharply increased prices.
Earlier in the day, "Kotaku" reported that Microsoft was planning to shut down the "Compulsion" studio entirely. However, the report was later corrected, noting that the studio's leadership was in active talks with Microsoft to operate independently rather than shut down completely.
Asha Sharma, who took over Xbox leadership in February, has made many major decisions in a short time. At the spectacular "Xbox Games Showcase" held just a week ago, it was confirmed that "Gears of War: E-Day" and "Clockwork Revolution" would remain exclusive to Xbox consoles.
Interestingly, the same event officially showcased "Senua", the new game from "Ninja Theory". Following the sudden decision to shut down the studio, the future of this project has become completely uncertain. Xbox has so far declined to comment officially on the matter.
