The gaming industry is seeing further job cuts as major tech companies adjust their strategies. Amazon recently announced it will lay off 14,000 employees, and a portion of these cuts will impact its gaming division. Reports indicate the layoffs are concentrated at Amazon Games’ studios in Irvine and San Diego, as well as the publishing team.
According to Steve Boom, a vice president at Amazon, the company is focusing on its core strengths and scaling back internal game development, particularly for large-scale online games. Amazon cites a need for a more streamlined organization and increased use of generative AI as the reasons behind these changes.
Beth Galetti, a senior vice president at Amazon, explained that the company is adapting to a rapidly changing world and believes that the latest advancements in AI are as significant as the invention of the internet. To innovate quickly and efficiently, Amazon is aiming for a leaner structure with fewer management layers and more individual responsibility.
Where does this leave Amazon Games?
Amazon Games has faced challenges building its presence in the gaming world, with some projects failing to launch and the company gradually building up its studio network. A particularly notable failure was the hero shooter *Crucible*, which was quickly pulled back into testing and ultimately cancelled after a poor reception.
More recently, Amazon has seen success with the MMORPG *New World* in 2021, and published *Lost Ark*, another MMORPG developed by Smilegate, in 2023. They’ve also released *King of Meat*, a cooperative party game where players tackle dungeons together.
However, the future of several upcoming Amazon Games projects is now uncertain, especially following recent layoffs. This includes an MMO set in the world of *The Lord of the Rings*, which was being developed by their Orange County studio in partnership with Embracer Group. Amazon has also secured publishing rights for a new racing game from Maverick Games and the next *Tomb Raider* game from Crystal Dynamics, but neither of these titles has a confirmed release date.
Considering the scale of the layoffs, it appears unlikely that Amazon Games will be pursuing numerous large-scale projects in the near future, whether developed internally or by external studios.
Is Amazon Games cancelling any upcoming projects as part of these layoffs?
We don’t yet know if Amazon has cancelled any of its planned games due to the recent layoffs.
What is Maverick Games?
Maverick Games is a new, independent game studio created by people who previously worked at Playground Games. They are currently developing an open-world racing game.
Will the Amazon Games layoffs affect New World?
The recent layoffs at Amazon Games could affect the future development of New World, which has been consistently updated since its release.
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- 10 Most Badass Moments From Arrow
- Wednesday Season 2 Completely Changes a Key Addams Family Character
- Jimmy Kimmel Slams ‘Angry Finger Pointing’ Following Charlie Kirk Shooting After Building a Career off Angry Finger Pointing
- Dynasty Warriors remastered title and Dynasty Warriors: Origins major DLC announced
- Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition coming to PS5 on November 4
- Wind Breaker Chapter 197 Release Date & What To Expect
- The Simpsons Kills Off Marge Simpson In Shocking Twist
- Jon Cryer Says He Was Paid “a Third” of Charlie Sheen’s Salary
- Timothee Chalamet heist film
2025-10-28 23:09