Amazon cuts 100 jobs from gaming division despite expansion plans

In addition to laying off more than 400 Twitch employees, Amazon has announced 100 job cuts that will impact its gaming vertical.

Amazon, like several other major tech companies, laid off thousands of employees late last year. Such a blow was followed by another 8,000 job cuts a few months ago in Janaury.

Unfortunately, yet another round of layoffs swept the company in March, which affected approximately 9,000 roles within Amazon’s Advertising, AWS, PXT, and Twitch divisions. 400 of those staffers were members of the Twitch group.

The latest news on this front reveals that 100 more people have been let go from the corporation’s otherwise growing games division.

Amazon cuts 100 jobs despite plans to grow game studios

On Tuesday, April 4, Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann announced 100 layoffs in a memo obtained by CNBC. These latest cuts target the gaming sector, specifically the San Diego studio, Game Growth group, and Prime Gaming.

An unspecified number of workers were also reassigned to other segments of the company “that match our strategic focus,” Hartmann wrote.

The VP added that employees impacted by the move will receive support in the form of “severance pay, health insurance benefits, outplacement services, and paid time to conduct their job search.”

Amazon

Notably, despite the job cuts, Christoph Hartmann’s memo also mentions growth plans for the gaming sector at Amazon. According to the executive, the Irvine, California-based team behind New World “will grow as we shift some resources to further support its continued development.”

Amazon’s Montréal development house will expand as well, increasing its headcount as the crew progresses through production on an unannounced project.

Exploring new publishing endeavors serves as another priority for Amazon, following its recent deal to bring South Korean developer NCSOFT’s Throne and Liberty MMORPG to the Americas, Europe, and Japan.