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The layoffs will reportedly affect some staff at the company's San Diego studio.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

April 6, 2023

1 Min Read
The Amazon Games logo on a dark background

Amazon has made roughly 100 layoffs within its video game divisions, including staff at Prime Gaming, Game Growth, and the company's San Diego studio.

That's according to a report from Bloomberg, which has glimpsed an internal memo sent to employees by Games VP Christoph Hartmann.

In that memo, Hartmann said the retail and media giant needed to realign its resources to "support our focus on content," and reiterated plans to continue investing in internal development. "Our teams will continue to grow as our projects progress," added Hartmann.

Although the layoffs will reportedly affect workers at Amazon's San Diego studio, the team there is apparently preparing to "double down on the pre-production phase" of an unannounced project. Hartmann explained the company's Montreal studio will also continue to expand.

The news comes shortly after John Smedley, the former head of Amazon's San Diego outfit, announced he will be departing the studio.

Despite the rapid fire-changes within Amazon's video game division, the company said it intends to continue branching into the world of third-part publishing, having previously partnered with Korean studio Smilegate to publish Lost Ark in North America and Europe.

More recently, Amazon revealed it will be publishing Crystal Dynamic's next Tomb Raider title, helping to steer the project "from development all the way through publishing." It also acquired the publishing rights to NCSoft's upcoming MMO, Throne & Liberty, in February this year.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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