Amazon to Lay Off 16,000 Workers, Gaming Director Not Spared

by Ahmed Hassan January 29, 2026

written by Ahmed Hassan January 29, 2026

Key Takeaways

Created with AI - we're still experimenting, so apologies if it misses the mark

Amazon is undergoing significant layoffs affecting around 16,000 employees globally.
Christoph Hartmann, the head of Amazons gaming division since 2018, has departed the company.
The departure and the focus of the current layoffs on divisions other than gaming indicate a possible shift in Amazons gaming strategy.
Amazon may be moving towards cloud services and simpler AI-driven games, potentially signaling a move away from large-budget AAA productions like New World: Aeternum and The Lord of the Rings MMO.

Layoffs Impact 16,000 Employees Globally, Shift in Amazon’s Gaming Strategy Signaled by Hartmann’s Departure

Christoph Hartmann, who had led Amazon’s gaming division since 2018, departed the company on Wednesday, coinciding with the announcement of a major round of layoffs impacting approximately 16,000 employees globally. Before joining Amazon, Hartmann founded and led 2K Games. From 2018 onward, he focused on developing large-scale, in-house games at Amazon. However, in October of last year, Amazon reduced its workforce by around 14,000 positions, a move that led to the cancellation or scaling back of significant projects like New World: Aeternum and an ambitious MMO based on The Lord of the Rings. Hartmann’s departure, coupled with the fact that the current layoffs primarily affect divisions like Amazon Web Services, retail, and Prime Video, suggests a shift in Amazon’s gaming strategy. The company may be moving away from large-budget AAA productions in favor of cloud services and simpler AI-driven games.

In Case You Missed It

While we’re on the topic of gaming goodies, don’t miss Ahmed Hassan’s latest post ‘February 2026 PlayStation Plus Games Unveiled’ (), published just yesterday, which gives you a rundown of the free games PS Plus subscribers can snap up in February, including Undisputed and Subnautica: Below Zero. Meanwhile, Carlos Mendoza’s recent piece on “Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown reaches 7 million units sold” (), published January 29, 2026, is a thrilling celebration of the franchise’s success with special wallpapers and soundtrack additions, and even teases the upcoming release of Ace Combat 8: Wings of Rean™! But let’s not forget Microsoft’s fiscal year 2026 midpoint, where revenues soared to $81.3 billion thanks to a 17% increase from the previous year, with Cloud alone generating an impressive $51.5 billion. However, Jonathan Dubinski’s latest piece, “Financial Results Reveal: Xbox Remains Microsoft’s ‘Ugly Duckling'” (), published January 29th, delves into the weaker performance of Microsoft’s gaming segment, with revenues from Xbox content and services taking a 5% tumble.