Xbox Reportedly Planning to Shut Down or Sell at Least Three Game Studios
Quick Look
- Xbox is reportedly planning to shut down or sell at least three of its game studios: Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Compulsion Games.
- Employees at Ninja Theory were informed of a potential closure, while Double Fine and Compulsion are negotiating buyouts or facing shutdown.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Xbox is reportedly planning to shut down or sell at least three of its game studios, including Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Compulsion Games. This follows a history of significant acquisitions by Microsoft in the gaming industry.
Xbox is preparing to shut down or sell at least three of its studios — Double Fine, Ninja Theory and Compulsion Games — according to reports from The Verge and Bloomberg on Monday.
Ninja Theory employees were informed on Monday that the studio would be closing, according to The Verge, but the team is attempting to find a buyer that can keep them operational. Ninja Theory is the studio behind the Hellblade series and it was featured in the recent Xbox Summer Game Fest showcase, revealing a new entry due in 2027.
Double Fine is the legendary studio behind the Psychonauts games, Brütal Legend, Broken Age, Keeper and all manner of LucasArts adventures, founded by Tim Schafer and friends in 2000. Double Fine leaders are in active negotiations to buy themselves back from Xbox rather than be closed altogether, Bloomberg said.
Compulsion Games is in a similar position, according to the report. Compulsion is the Montreal studio behind the uber-stylish first-person games Contrast, We Happy Few and South of Midnight, the latter of which came out in April 2025.
Bloomberg reported that several other studios under the Xbox Game Studios banner are also negotiating for their futures and are at risk of being shut down. As it officially stands, the Xbox Game Studios umbrella covers dozens of studios, including Arkane, Bethesda, Halo Studios, id Software, Obsidian, Playground Games, ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard King. We have contacted Xbox for clarification on the reported closures and buyout talks.
Microsoft's modern game-studio acquiring spree kicked off in 2018 with the purchase of Undead Labs, Playground Games, Ninja Theory and Compulsion Games, plus the formation of The Initiative. This momentum continued building at a concerning pace in 2020 and 2021, when Xbox acquired eight more studios under ZeniMax Media, including Arkane, Bethesda and id. Everything came to a head in 2022 with the announcement that Xbox planned to purchase Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, the largest acquisition in video game history. That deal finally went through at the end of 2023, after a lengthy battle with regulators.
Since the acquisitions, Microsoft has enacted multiple massive rounds of layoffs affecting thousands of employees in its gaming division, and also shuttered well-known studios, including The Initiative. Unfortunately, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, Compulsion and the other at-risk Xbox studios are in good company.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Xbox will confirm studio closures or sales within the next few weeks.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Which other studios are at risk?
- What is the exact financial situation of each studio?
- Will any buyers be found for the studios?
