The second phase of the so-called Xbox Reset has led to a major internal reorganization within Xbox, with some studios becoming part of Microsoft’s larger publishers, but also with new staff cuts and the cancellation of projects that will no longer see the light of day.
It seems that Age of Empires 5 could also be among them. The new chapter in the strategy series appears to have been hit by the latest decisions from Asha Sharma and her colleagues.
On LinkedIn, Adam Isgreen, creative director at World’s Edge, confirmed that he and many of his colleagues are among the 268 employees affected by the latest wave of Xbox layoffs.
Next Age of Empires Project Reportedly Shelved
“I am of course disappointed that this is the way the time with World’s Edge and Age ends for myself and many of my talented teammates that were also impacted,” Isgreen said (thanks Rock Paper Shotgun). “We had some great plans for what’s next – and I hope the team that remains can rise to the occasion down the line.”
This suggests that World’s Edge’s new video game project, which according to earlier reports was indeed called Age of Empires 5, has been canceled as part of Xbox’s company restructuring.
Andrew Martz, senior software engineer at World’s Edge, also revealed on LinkedIn that he was affected by the layoffs and that “our next project” was shelved as a direct result of the move connected to World’s Edge being absorbed into Activision.
