Gears of War: E-Day Story Director Laid Off Just Weeks Before Release
- Juan Vaca, story director for Gears of War: E-Day, announced his layoff via LinkedIn.
- The game is set to launch on October 6, 2023, shortly after Vaca celebrated its completion.
- Xbox’s restructuring resulted in a total of 268 layoffs across multiple studios.
Juan Vaca, the story director for Gears of War: E-Day, has been laid off as part of Microsoft’s recent wave of layoffs affecting Xbox and its associated studios. This news comes just weeks before the highly anticipated game, which Vaca has been involved with for over four years, is scheduled for release on October 6, 2023.
Vaca, who joined the Coalition, the developer behind Gears of War: E-Day, in 2022, shared his layoff announcement on LinkedIn, stating, “I am part of this round of Microsoft layoffs and am open to new opportunities in games/film/tv. If your team needs a director/storyteller please reach out.” His previous post celebrated Gears of War: E-Day achieving “gold” status, indicating that the game is ready to be printed on discs.
While Vaca’s departure raises questions regarding the impact on The Coalition, reports suggest that fewer than “a handful” of other developers may have also been laid off, with reasons cited as unrelated to the restructuring of Xbox, according to Kotaku.
The restructuring saw a total of 268 developers laid off across various Xbox studios. Significant changes included the transfer of Rare and World’s Edge under Activision’s control, the merging of Playground and Turn 10 into one studio focused on Fable and Forza, and Obsidian Studios now reporting into Bethesda as it develops a new Fallout game.
Furthermore, layoffs have also led to a downsizing of Halo Studios, which will see the Halo series development shift to Activision for future releases, while Ninja Theory faces the possibility of closure following failed ownership negotiations.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
