July 2025 was a dark day for Microsoft's Xbox division.
The company cut nearly 9,000 jobs, translating to roughly 4% of its entire workforce. That comes on the heels of Microsoft laying off over 7,000 employees (3% of their workforce) in the spring.
With the layoffs came cancellations of some previously high-profile games. Everwild, Rare's upcoming project that feels like it's been in development forever, was cancelled, alongside the Perfect Dark reboot from The Initiative, as well as an MMORPG project from ZeniMax Online Studios.
These cancellations also coincided with the closure of studios. Turn 10, best known for the Forza Motorsport franchise, let go of half its staff. The Initiative closed down without ever releasing a game. Rare has undergone substantial changes, including the loss of Gregg Mayles in July, who was with the company for over 35 years.
Today comes the news of where another longtime Rare developer has ended up.
Louise O'Connor, Former Executive Producer Of Everwild, Is Now At Xbox Games Studios
As first reported by VGC, Louis O'Connor has officially joined Xbox Games Studios as its Chief of Staff. O'Connor has also updated her bios on X, formerly known as Twitter, and LinkedIn, to...
