{
  "id": 9548375,
  "title": "Microsoft Culled Age of Empires Studio Before Handing It Over to Activision, With Nearly Half of All Staff Gone",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/microsoft-culled-age-of-empires-studio-before-handing-it-over-to",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-24T11:35:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-culled-age-of-empires-studio-before-handing-it-over-to-activision-with-nearly-half-of-all-staff-gone"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Microsoft recently downsized its Age of Empires studio, World's Edge, as it integrated the studio under Activision's wing. The layoffs resulted in nearly a half of the company's workforce being let go, part of a broader 268 staff reduction across Xbox. World's Edge, which previously developed the Age of Empires franchise, was now seeing its next project cancelled. Adam Isgreen, the studio's former creative director, expressed disappointment over the studio's closure, while Andrew Martz, a former senior software engineer, revealed the cancellation of their next project and his own layoff. The studio's cancellation has left the future of Age of Empires 5 uncertain, though it seems likely given the franchise's history. Meanwhile, the studio's Viking Sagas DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition was released, adding new civilizations and scenarios.",
  "summary": "Age of Empires studio World's Edge lost almost half of all employees this week, as part of Microsoft's latest round of brutal job losses.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}