# Obsidian hit by Microsoft Xbox layoffs despite avoiding earlier cuts

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/even-obsidian-couldnt-escape-the-xbox-cuts-with-losses-ranging-from-a-21-year-veteran-artist-to-an-engineer-whod-only-been-there-2-months/
- Published: 2026-07-06T19:44:03+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-01T21:34:34+00:00
- Original publisher: PC Gamer
- Original article: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/even-obsidian-couldnt-escape-the-xbox-cuts-with-losses-ranging-from-a-21-year-veteran-artist-to-an-engineer-whod-only-been-there-2-months/
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Gaming, Music

## Key points

- Obsidian Entertainment, previously spared from Xbox layoffs, has now been affected by Microsoft's latest round of staff reductions
- The cuts impacted artists, designers, engineers, and writers across experience levels—from a 21-year veteran to employees hired just weeks prior
- Affected staff include notable developers who contributed to franchises like Fallout, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age

## Summary

Obsidian Entertainment has been caught in Microsoft's latest wave of Xbox layoffs, ending a streak in which the studio had avoided previous rounds of cuts. Staff reductions hit multiple disciplines including art, design, engineering, and writing, with affected employees publicly announcing their departures across social media platforms.

The layoffs affected both career-long employees and recent hires. Among those laid off was Daniel Alpert, who spent two decades at the studio contributing to titles such as Neverwinter Nights 2 and Fallout: New Vegas, alongside engineer Wenzheng Huang, who had joined the company just two months earlier. Other departures included narrative designers and producers who had worked on projects including Avowed and contributed to earlier BioWare releases.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.