Microsoft hands Halo, Sea of Thieves franchises to Activision in Xbox restructure

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Microsoft has announced a major restructuring of its Xbox game studios, transferring key franchises including Halo, Sea of Thieves, and Age of Empires to Activision. The reorganization comes months after Microsoft laid off 1,600 Xbox employees and divested several studios. An additional 268 Xbox employees are being let go as part of the latest round of changes, with Ninja Theory also likely facing closure. Halo Studios will retain support for existing titles such as Halo Infinite, but future flagship entries in the series will be developed by Activision going forward.

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