Following theannouncement of Microsoft’s layoffof more than 10,000 employees earlier this week, Xbox’s top executive has promised to remain transparent with its current and former employees regarding the situation. In an email fromPhil Spencerto employees, which one current employee reportedlyprovided to Kotaku, Spencer expressed sympathy for the employees and vowed to keep them informed of what’s going on with the tech company.“This is a challenging moment in our business, and this week’s actions were painful choices,” the email, which Kotaku says it has verified as legitimate, reads. “The Gaming Leadership Team had to make decisions that we felt set us up for the long-term success of our products and business, but the individual results of those decisions are real. I know that hurts. Thank you for supporting our colleagues as they process these changes.“RELATED:Phil Spencer Criticizes Sony’s Plans For Growth In PodcastSpencer also called the period of layoffs “a challenging moment in our business” and having to lay off employees “painful.” Based on the email’s contents, Spencer sent the email out after leadership had already had both one-on-one and group meetings with employees regarding the layoffs.He also states in the email that the company will be forthcoming with information and is dedicated to answering its employees' questions regarding layoffs, specifically mentioning a Monthly Gaming Update scheduled for next week as a source of information. “The GLT and I are committed to being as transparent as we can,” the email reads. “Moving forward with ambiguity is challenging, but I am confident that together, we will get through this difficult moment in time.“While Spencer has reiterated that the layoffs will be beneficial to the company’s long-term success, the decision has been far from popular, with criticisms from both the industry and the social media world in abundance. Over the course of just a few days, a large number of people have voiced their displeasure with Microsoft’s leadership, chief among themformer members of 343 Industries, the development team behind theHalofranchise, and at least one former member of the staff has referred to the leadership as “incompetent.“Despite not having been laid off himself, Joseph Staten, who has served as a director of cinematics for the Halo games, has beenreported to be heading outas well. Staten yesterdaytook to Twitterto announce his focus of helping laid-off employees find new projects that suit their talents.
Despite all the negative press, Spencer’s email continues to sport a message of gratitude to his employees. “Your work is so deeply appreciated and valued in these times of change and is integral to our business momentum,” it reads. “I am confident in our future and proud to be part of this team, but also conscious that this is a challenging time and I want to thank you for everything you do here.
