Brace yourselves, Xbox fans - according to Polygon, Microsoft is reportedly weighing the closure of several critically acclaimed studios under its belt, including Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Compulsion Games. You know, the studios responsible for some of the most creative, beloved games in recent memory. Totally fine. Everything is fine.
This alleged internal "reset" - which sounds a lot like when you rage-quit and wipe your entire profile - would gut a lineup of developers that Microsoft spent billions of dollars acquiring in the first place. Double Fine, the quirky masterminds behind Psychonauts 2. Ninja Theory, the studio that gave us the emotionally devastating Hellblade series. Compulsion Games, creators of the stylish Hi-Fi Rush... wait, wrong studio, but you get the point.
Achievement unlocked: shooting yourself in the foot
Let's do a quick inventory check here. Microsoft bought Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and a parade of smaller studios over the past several years in what was supposed to be the ultimate party of first-party exclusives. Now, if Polygon's reporting holds up, the plan appears to be closing some of the most artistically interesting studios in that collection. Truly a speedrun of bad PR.
Ninja Theory in particular would be a brutal loss - the studio has been deep in development on Hellblade 2's future and has become something of a poster child for Xbox's supposed commitment to bold, narrative-driven experiences. Double Fine and Tim Schafer's team are practically gaming royalty at this point, so seeing them on a chopping block would hit different for a lot of longtime fans.
What happens next?
Nothing is confirmed yet, and Microsoft has not officially announced any closures at the time of writing. But given that Xbox already shut down Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin last year (yes, the studio that just made Hi-Fi Rush - a game everyone loved), this particular rumor lands a lot harder than it might have otherwise.
The Xbox ecosystem is starting to feel less like a thriving game library and more like a roguelite run where the devs keep deleting their own best characters. We'll be watching this one closely - and hoping someone at Microsoft hits the pause button before making any irreversible decisions.
