The full impact of Microsoft's massive layoffs is now coming into focus, with Blizzard announcing that its mobile game Warcraft Rumble will receive no further new content. Developers have confirmed they are among those let go.
Warcraft Rumble represented a major push by Blizzard to enter the profitable mobile gaming market with a Warcraft title. Development started in 2016, and the game launched globally in 2023. This free-to-play tower defense real-time strategy game took inspiration from hits like Clash of Clans, with a PC version following late last year.
In an official blog post, Blizzard acknowledged that Warcraft Rumble "struggled to gain the traction needed for long-term success," adding that recent efforts to boost the game's popularity failed to provide a sustainable foundation for ongoing development.
This news is part of wider cuts at Microsoft, which eliminated 4% of its workforce, amounting to over 9,000 employees. Although most job losses were outside its gaming division, Xbox studios were notably affected. Rare's project Everwild was canceled, along with the planned Perfect Dark reboot. The Initiative studio was also shut down.
Other divisions faced significant reductions as well. Candy Crush creator King saw deep cuts, as did Bethesda's European offices. An unannounced MMO in development at ZeniMax Online Studios, the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online, was scrapped and its developers laid off. Reports also suggest that Forza studio Turn 10 and several Call of Duty development teams experienced layoffs. Microsoft has been forced to refute rumors that Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, plans to retire following the launch of the next-generation Xbox console.
Alex Apple, a client engineer at Blizzard, posted on LinkedIn that they had been laid off "alongside the entire Warcraft Rumble team." Other developers associated with the game shared similar news.
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Blizzard's blog post confirmed that Warcraft Rumble will remain online and playable, but will only receive updates related to recurring in-game events and necessary bug fixes.
Dear Warcraft Rumble Community,
We have an important announcement regarding the future of Warcraft Rumble. Following extensive consideration, we've reached an extremely difficult decision. Going forward, we will maintain support for Rumble with updates for regular in-game events and bug fixes, but we will not be producing new content.
Warcraft Rumble started its journey nine years ago as a tribute to the world of Azeroth. It launched in 2023, shaped by feedback from a passionate global player base and the dedication of a talented team—some of whom continue to work on Rumble or other Blizzard titles, while others we have regrettably had to say goodbye to. Since its release, Rumble has not achieved the lasting success we envisioned. The team has spent considerable time gathering player input, refining certain aspects, and evaluating various approaches. While some initiatives showed promise, they were ultimately insufficient to ensure the game's long-term viability.
During this transition, our priority is supporting our colleagues. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone at Blizzard and in our community who helped bring Warcraft Rumble to life and shared in the unique joy it offered. Your passion and feedback have been invaluable to us.
Fans of the game expressed their disappointment at the announcement, though many were not entirely surprised given the game's trajectory over the past two years. Many players are now saying their final goodbyes to Warcraft Rumble and its community, while also sending messages of support to the developers impacted by the layoffs.
