Amazon Games is making significant layoffs, according to an internal email that’s been shared online.
As reported by IGN and Reuters, a memo that was reportedly sent to employees yesterday (November 13) by Amazon Games’ vice president Christoph Hartmann reveals that “just over 180 roles” have been cut.
Specifically, the email states that after an “initial restructuring” back in April, Amazon Games is going to put its resources into areas that have the “highest potential to drive our business forward.” As well as “refocusing our efforts for Prime Gaming,” acknowledging that customers’ main focus is on the monthly free games offered by the service, the email says that the company is shutting down both Game Growth and Crown Channel.
For those unfamiliar, Game Growth described its aim as “re-imagining how game creators promote their products across the globe and reach audiences who will be delighted by their content. Our vision is to enable game consumers to easily find and access any game experience, for any platform, anywhere in the world.”
Meanwhile, Crown was an online streaming channel that often starred big Twitch names participating in gaming-focused content. At the time of writing, it has around 199k subscribers on Twitch and 7.54k subscribers on YouTube.
Towards the end of the email, Hartmann wrote: “I recognize that this is the second time this year that you are hearing about org-wide team changes and seeing colleagues go, so let me be very clear when I say this: I remain confident in our future.”
Based on the email, it doesn't appear that cuts have been made within the company's own game development and publishing divisions (such as the team that made open-world MMO New World), but without a complete list to refer to, this isn't entirely clear.
This year, various facets of the games industry have been impacted by layoffs. Last week, Ubisoft announced 124 jobs across its IT teams and business administrative services had been cut in order to “streamline our operations and enhance our collective efficiency.” An unknown number of staff are also facing layoffs at Digital Extremes.
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