Microsoft Is Seemingly Cutting Back On Its Quality Assurance Efforts With Xbox

As we’re sure you’re all aware by now, Microsoft has been cutting staff like nobody’s business this week, and their efforts are in-part due to ‘streamlining’ the business – or as Xbox exec Matt Booty says: “to adjust priorities and focus resources”. Well, it seems as though these adjustments will be hitting the ‘Xbox User Research’ team quite hard as Microsoft’s QA efforts are cut back on.

In a small tidbit from well-known Microsoft reporter Tom Warren over at The Verge, Xbox is apparently suffering major cuts to the team that basically performs quality assurance across the platform by various means. Here’s exactly how Warren puts it, while also sharing the news that the head of Xbox’s family and child safety team has been let go:

“News of Microsoft’s major layoffs today keep rolling in, as the company informs around 9,000 employees of the cuts. I’ve heard from sources that the Xbox user research team has been hit hard, with nearly half the team affected. It’s a key team that focuses on ensuring quality across Xbox games, the platform, and developer tools. Even the head of Xbox family and child safety has also been laid off.”

This is another difficult bit of news to hear. These sorts of developers are often the unsung heroes of getting console-quality games out of the door, while also ensuring that the general user experience is a good one. We’re sure that Microsoft has a plan for how to handle this stuff after its big restructure, but something like firing your family safety lead can never be seen as a good thing, really.

It’s also not the first time we’ve heard “nearly half the team affected” in the last 24 hours. Earlier today, it’s been reported that almost 50% of Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios has been let go, as the team continues to support its 2023 track-based racer.