Is Xbox's big reboot a new dawn, or its last life?

Jul 22, 2026 · 26 min · 15 segments

When it comes to its Xbox, Microsoft is doing a hard reset. The company is reducing its gaming division by about 20 percent. Microsoft calls it “the most significant restructuring in Xbox…

When it comes to its Xbox, Microsoft is doing a hard reset. The company is reducing its gaming division by about 20 percent. Microsoft calls it “the most significant restructuring in Xbox history.”  Most of those layoffs are spread out across the country. But what happens in gaming matters here—Seattle has so many industry jobs and studios that it’s often called the "Hollywood of video games." For the workers who live and breathe gaming, their ability to keep or find a good job feels like an impossible gauntlet. On today's episode, what's *really* going on with Xbox? And what do these mass layoffs say about the state of the gaming industry? *Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to https://donate.kuow.org/donate/booming.* *Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.* Support the show: https://kuow.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to its Xbox, Microsoft is doing a hard reset. The company is reducing its gaming division by about 20 percent. Microsoft calls it “the most significant restructuring in Xbox…

Is Xbox's big reboot a new dawn, or its last life?

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Is Xbox's big reboot a new dawn, or its last life?