Microsoft has confirmed that it will lay off as many as 9,000 workers, in the technology giant’s latest wave of job cuts this year. The company said several divisions would be affected without specifying which ones but reports suggest that its Xbox video gaming unit will be hit. Microsoft has set out plans to invest heavily in artificial intelligence (AI), and is spending $80bn (£68.6bn) in huge data centres to train AI models. A spokesperson for the firm told the BBC: “We continue to implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.” The cuts would equate to 4% of Microsoft’s 228,000-strong global workforce. Some video game projects have reportedly been affected by them. According to an internal email seen by The Verge and gaming publication IGN, Microsoft has told gaming staff that the planned reboot of first-person shooter series Perfect Dark, along with another title, Everwild, will be cancelled. The Initiative, a Microsoft-owned studio behind the Perfect Dark reboot, will also be shut down, the memo stated. Job cuts have also affected staff across wider studios owned by Microsoft, including Forza Motorsport maker Turn 10 and Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios, according to employee posts on social media seen by the BBC. Matt Firor, studio director of ZeniMax Online Studios, announced on Wednesday he would be leaving his position in July after more than 18 years at the studio. “While I won’t be working on the game anymore, I will be cheering you on and adding to the thousands of hours I’ve already spent in-game,” said a post attributed to Mr Firor by ZeniMax on X.

Full report : Microsoft to layoff nearly 9000 employees as it plans to invest nearly $80 billion in huge data centers to train AI.