"Microsoft is thriving" says CEO Satya Nadella after over 9,000 employees were laid off earlier this month

Less than a month after a wave of layoffs that saw over 9,000 employees lose their jobs across Xbox, ZeniMax, Rare, and other Microsoft subsidiaries, the company’s CEO has claimed that it is “thriving” while doubling down on its AI plans.

The details:

• In a new statement, CEO Satya Nadella commented on Microsoft’s recent project cancellations and job losses, claiming that despite the changes, the company is still “thriving.” By every objective measure, Microsoft is thriving—our market performance, strategic positioning, and growth all point up and to the right,” Nadella said. “We’re investing more in CapEx than ever before. Our overall headcount is relatively unchanged, and some of the talent and expertise in our industry and at Microsoft is being recognized and rewarded at levels never seen before. And yet, at the same time, we’ve undergone layoffs.”

• The executive also discussed Microsoft’s commitment to AI going forward, stating that it is “doubling down on the fundamentals while continuing to define new frontiers in AI," despite facing some public backlash. “Just imagine if all 8 billion people could summon a researcher, an analyst, or a coding agent at their fingertips, not just to get information but use their expertise to get things done that benefit them,” reads the statement. “Consider how organizations, empowered with AI, could unlock entirely new levels of agility and innovation by transforming decision-making, streamlining operations, and enabling every team to achieve more together than ever before.”

• The statement comes less than a month after Microsoft let go of over 9,000 employees across several of its subsidiaries. With the layoffs, Xbox saw several project cancellations, including Rare’s Everwild and The Initiative’s Perfect Dark reboot, with the latter studio also shutting its doors entirely. The company claimed that the cuts were necessary “to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace.”

• Stop Killing Games has been accused of "systematic concealment of major contribution" after founder Ross Scott admitted to spending upwards of 14 hours a day promoting the initiative.

• Battlefield 6 has been officially revealed with a new trailer, and a separate multiplayer reveal has been announced for next week.