Ninja Theory has started layoffs as Xbox weighs a proposed closure for the Cambridge studio behind Hellblade. Employee posts on LinkedIn confirmed the cuts over recent days following Xbox’s September gaming restructuring.
Microsoft began consultation after two agreements to keep Ninja Theory operating or make it independent fell through. Xbox has not disclosed how many workers face job losses, leaving the scale of the layoffs unclear.
The layoffs affect programming, technical art, audio, performance capture, and technical direction teams across the studio. Xbox placed the studio into consultation while continuing to examine other options for its future.
The cuts form part of Xbox’s wider business reset, which added 268 layoffs in September. An earlier wave across the division affected 1,600 workers, adding pressure across Microsoft’s gaming business.
The developments have also cast fresh doubt over Senua, Ninja Theory’s next major Hellblade game. The studio announced Senua during the Xbox Games Showcase in June with a 2027 release target. The game targets PC, Xbox Series S/X, and PS5, although its future now remains uncertain.
Katrin Mair, a gameplay programmer who worked on Senua, confirmed her departure through a recent LinkedIn post. She described Ninja Theory as a place where she learned, developed, and worked with talented colleagues. Mair also expressed disappointment about leaving the project before its planned completion after years of development.
“It’s incredibly sad knowing that we won’t get to finish what we were working on,” Mair said. She added that the project received substantial care, talent, and effort from the wider development team. Her LinkedIn profile indicates that she had worked on Senua since 2024.
Technical sound designer Alessio Mellina also said his role was made redundant after more than a decade at the studio. Rachel Kimber, Matt Le-Fevre, and Matteo Tummino also shared updates about layoffs or job uncertainty.
Xbox has not announced any change to Senua’s planned release window or provided a development update. For now, the closure consultation leaves Ninja Theory’s workforce and Senua’s development without a clear path.
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