Just a few days after the game went gold and shortly before launch, Microsoft’s wave of layoffs has also hit the writer of the upcoming shooter.
As part of yesterday’s wave of Xbox layoffs, Microsoft also fired the story director of Gears of War: E-Day. This happened just under two weeks before the game’s release—a project he had been working on for over four years.
Juan Vaca joined the development studio The Coalition in 2022. Last night, he announced on LinkedIn that he had lost his job. Vaca wrote: “I’ve been affected by the current round of layoffs at Microsoft and am open to new opportunities in games, film, or TV. If your team needs a director or storyteller, feel free to reach out to me.”
Just five days ago, Vaca celebrated Gears of War: E-Day reaching gold status in a post—so the game is finished and ready for production. The official release date is October 6.
Laid off after going gold: What’s the status of The Coalition?
It’s currently unclear whether and how many more developers at The Coalition are affected by the Xbox layoffs. As Kotaku reports, citing an anonymous source, fewer than “a handful” of employees were let go. Apparently, however, these layoffs aren’t even directly related to the large-scale restructuring at Xbox.
Yesterday, Xbox experienced another day of massive upheaval. As a result of the ongoing restructuring, several studios were merged or drastically reorganized. A total of 268 developers lost their jobs. The studios Rare and World’s Edge are now under Activision’s control. Playground and Turn 10 are merging into a single team that will focus on Fable and Forza in the future. Obsidian—where a new Fallout is currently in development—is now under Bethesda’s leadership.
Major Cuts to Halo: Activision Takes Over, Ninja Theory on the Brink
But that wasn’t all: Halo Studios also fell victim to massive cutbacks. Activision will take over future development of the Halo series effective immediately. Last but not least, Ninja Theory is on the verge of permanent closure after potential acquisition talks fell through.
