Amazon Games Cuts 180 Jobs, Focus Shifts to Prime Gaming
Amazon Games has announced a significant workforce reduction, affecting 180 employees across its Crown Channel and Game Growth team. The move is part of Amazon's strategic shift to concentrate more on Prime Gaming, as confirmed by Amazon Games vice president Christoph Hartmann.
In an email to employees, Hartmann explained the rationale behind the decision, stating, "We’ve listened to our customers, and we know delivering free games every month is what they want most. Therefore, we are refining our Prime benefit to increase our focus there." This refocusing has led to the elimination of over 180 roles, signaling a major change in Amazon Games' business approach.
The Crown Channel, known for its ad-supported original programming on Twitch, is notably affected by this decision. This news follows a tumultuous period for the video game industry, which has seen layoffs at other major companies, including Bungie and BioWare.
Despite these layoffs, Amazon Games remains committed to internal game development. The studio continues to work on projects like "Lost Ark" and "New World" and is developing a new "Lord of the Rings" MMO.
This isn't the first instance of layoffs at Amazon Games in 2023, with around 100 employees from its games division being let go earlier in the year. These changes come amid reports that Crown Channel’s popularity and viewership numbers may have been artificially inflated.
As the gaming landscape evolves, Amazon Games’ strategic pivot towards Prime Gaming reflects a larger trend in the industry, focusing on digital offerings and subscriber-based services.
Source: GameSpot