By the looks of it, several staffers from Microsoft Studios have been let go very recently, although the number of affected staff and the reason for their departures still remains unclear.
The redundancies come hot on the heels of Phil Spencer's promotion to the position of head of Xbox division. Two of those who've lost their jobs have been confirmed (via Neowin) as Patrick Loughman and Elbert Perez (the first tweet has been removed, the second takes advantage of links like these to promote a new Kickstarter).
A Microsoft rep sent a statement to VG247 with the company's official response: "At Xbox, our goal is to constantly create new fun, social and interactive entertainment experiences. As part of our commitment to this goal, we are always evaluating our development priorities, and there are times when decisions need to be made to realign plans and refocus our efforts. Microsoft Studios continues to grow as an overall organization as we focus and invest in key priority areas that will drive future profitable growth."