Xbox has undergone a major restructuring of its leadership team following the completion of the Bethesda acquisition. The company aims to avoid future game release failures, such as the highly criticized Redfall launch in May. The changes were communicated through a company-wide memo, appointing Sarah Bond as the new president of Xbox and Matt Booty as the president of Game Content and Studios at Microsoft. Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, stated in the memo that Booty will now directly oversee Bethesda and other developers under the ZeniMax umbrella.
This includes Arkane Studios, renowned for their critically acclaimed titles like Dishonored, Prey, and Deathloop. However, Arkane faced a setback with the release of Redfall earlier this year. The game received negative reviews due to performance issues, bugs, an unsatisfying gameplay loop, and a lack of polish. Player engagement dropped rapidly, even with significant post-launch updates.
The game’s poor reception prompted Xbox executives, including Spencer, to publicly apologize for failing to meet expectations. Reports on the development process at Arkane suggested that Redfall may have been destined for failure even before its release. A Bloomberg report in June highlighted a lack of direction and resources for the game, with Microsoft taking a relatively hands-off approach even after the acquisition. The report also noted high employee turnover at Arkane Austin, with 70% of the team that worked on Prey leaving before Redfall’s launch.
The recent leadership changes indicate Microsoft’s intention to be more involved in the development of games by its subsidiary studios. By taking a more hands-on approach, the company aims to prevent similar issues in the future and ensure the delivery of high-quality games.
Original Content:
| Time | Score |
|——|——-|
| 1:23 | 10-5 |
| 2:45 | 20-15 |
| 3:57 | 30-25 |
Source: DOTESPORTS
