According to insider sources at MobileGamer, around 200 employees - mainly from the level design team - are allegedly being affected by Microsoft's latest wave of staff reductions. A leaked internal message suggests King is doubling down on AI tools that can automate key parts of the game development process, from menu creation to environment design.
This is reportedly part of Microsoft's broader strategy to cut costs, become more agile, and shift more human resources toward marketing rather than development. The AI tools are designed to speed up production timelines and eliminate what are being described as "human bottlenecks."
It may make sense from a business standpoint, but not everyone is thrilled about the widening gap between human creativity and automation. So far, neither King nor Microsoft has officially confirmed the news, so take it with a grain of salt. That said, given Satya Nadella's public enthusiasm for AI, this doesn't seem all that far-fetched.