[0:00] What's up everybody? Damon here and for
[0:01] today's daily fix, we have two Xbox game
[0:04] studios leaders depart and a firstparty
[0:06] Xbox developer is reportedly shut down.
[0:08] This is your daily fix.
[0:20] Presented by Universal Orlando Resort
[0:22] and its newest theme park, Universal
[0:23] Epic Universe.
[0:27] Two of Microsoft's most senior managers
[0:29] overseeing Xbox Game Studios are
[0:30] reportedly departing the business. Head
[0:32] of Xbox Game Studios Craig Duncan and
[0:34] chief of staff Luis Okconor are leaving
[0:36] Xbox after decades at the firm. Both
[0:38] previously served long tenures at
[0:40] celebrated British studio Rare, which
[0:42] Duncan headed up for more than 10 years.
[0:44] Duncan wrote in an email announcing his
[0:46] departure, "When I stepped into the role
[0:47] of leading XGS 20 months ago, my purpose
[0:50] was to serve our studios, our teams, and
[0:52] the people making our games. Together,
[0:54] we set out to deliver high-quality
[0:55] games, strengthen the cultural fabric
[0:57] across our studios, and help shape the
[0:59] future of the business. I'm proud to say
[1:01] we deliver many flawless launches that
[1:02] drove business success for the company.
[1:04] Louise has been a thoughtful, creative,
[1:06] and trusted partner who has consistently
[1:08] championed the craft and supported our
[1:09] studios with clarity and care. I'm
[1:11] grateful for everything she's brought to
[1:12] XGS, and I'm sure she'll be successful
[1:14] in whatever comes next for her. The
[1:16] departures were first reported today by
[1:17] the game business. No reason was given
[1:19] for their joint exit, though it comes at
[1:20] a time of intense concern for the future
[1:22] of Xbox Game Studios and its staff after
[1:24] a dire warning from new Xbox boss Asha
[1:27] Chararma over the division's slim profit
[1:29] margin. Chararma's comments have been
[1:30] taken by many as a public warning that
[1:32] job losses are imminent and indeed a
[1:34] Bloomberg report signal that layoffs
[1:35] would happen as soon as next month. Fans
[1:37] are particularly concerned over the fate
[1:38] of several smaller teams such as Double
[1:40] Fine and the already downsized Turns 10
[1:42] Studios. One analyst said, "The studios
[1:44] most exposed are brilliant for prestige
[1:46] and rotten for the spreadsheet." And
[1:48] speaking of, Microsoft is reportedly
[1:51] planning to shut down South of Midnight
[1:52] and We Happy Few developer Compulsion
[1:54] Games. It also developed 2013's
[1:56] Contrast. Kitaki reports that the
[1:58] layoffs may total more than 90 staff
[2:00] just months after the Canadian studio
[2:02] was advertising jobs for a new IP.
[2:04] Microsoft has yet to comment. South of
[2:05] Midnight, an action adventure game set
[2:07] in a fictionalized American deep south,
[2:09] launched in April 2025. While it was
[2:11] wellreceived by critics, it failed to
[2:13] find a significant audience. It launched
[2:15] on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2
[2:17] in March. Compulsion Games is a Canadian
[2:18] developer founded in 2009. Xbox acquired
[2:21] it in 2018. And that is your daily fix
[2:23] for Monday, June 15th. Now that you're
[2:25] caught up on the news, check out this
[2:26] exclusive boss fight gameplay from Final
[2:28] Fantasy Residence. I'm Damon Hatfield.
[2:30] And for all your video game news, stay
[2:31] tuned to IGN.