Amazon Games Hit by Another Wave of Layoffs, Leaving 180 Employees Impacted
Amazon Games faces another round of layoffs, impacting 180 employees The Crown Channel, sadly, becomes a thing of the past
Amazon Games has recently let go of 180 employees from both the Crown Channel and the Game Growth team as part of their larger plan to prioritize Prime Gaming. The layoffs were confirmed by Amazon Games to Aftermath, with vice president Christoph Hartmann explaining in an email to employees that the decision was made based on customer feedback and the desire to enhance the Prime benefit by providing free games each month.
He stated, "As we adapt our business strategy, we will also be making changes to our resourcing, leading to the reduction of slightly over 180 positions." Crown Channel is an Amazon-owned channel on Twitch that primarily produces ad-supported original programming.
The video game industry has experienced a significant number of layoffs this year, with companies like Bungie and BioWare also being affected. Amazon has already undergone layoffs earlier in 2023, letting go of approximately 100 employees from its games division. Nevertheless, the company remains committed to internal game development.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Crown Channel's popularity was not as high as claimed by Amazon. It was revealed that the viewership numbers were being artificially inflated. Currently, Amazon Games is dedicatedly working on Lost Ark and New World, alongside the development of a new Lord of the Rings MMO.
Editor's P/S
Amazon Games, a subsidiary of the e-commerce giant Amazon, has been hit by another wave of layoffs, affecting 180 employees. This comes as a shock to the gaming community, as Amazon Games has been actively expanding its presence in the industry in recent years. The layoffs have primarily impacted the Crown Channel, an Amazon-owned channel on Twitch that produces ad-supported original programming, and the Game Growth team.
As a hard fan of Amazon Games, I am deeply saddened by this news. The Crown Channel was a unique platform that provided a space for smaller streamers and content creators to showcase their work and connect with their audiences. It is disheartening to see it go, as it represented an important part of the gaming ecosystem. The layoffs have also affected the Game Growth team, which was responsible for driving player engagement and growth across Amazon's various gaming initiatives. This could potentially have a negative impact on the overall health and longevity of these games, as well as the satisfaction of their player bases.
