Microsoft 9000 jobs cut: Blizzard puts Warcraft Rumble game in ‘maintenance mode’

Blizzard halts new content for Warcraft Rumble, shifting to maintenance amid Microsoft’s layoffs affecting 9,000 employees globally.

Blizzard is winding down its mobile strategy game, Warcraft Rumble, amid massive Microsoft layoffs affecting the studio. The game will no longer receive new features or content, but it will remain online with regular support and limited in-game events. Blizzard cited that the game has been unable to meet long-term expectations despite ongoing improvements, which is a key reason behind the change.

Blizzard pauses new content for Warcraft Rumble amid Microsoft’s major layoffs.

Warcraft Rumble was launched in 2023 to bring the Warcraft experience to mobile. It offers gameplay very similar to popular mobile games like Clash Royale. The game initially generated excitement but struggled to maintain a strong player base. Despite the team's hard work, listening to players' feedback, and exploring different options, the game showed little to no signs of improvement.

Blizzard stated in its official announcement, “We have made the difficult decision to stop developing new content for Warcraft Rumble and focus on maintaining the game for current players.” With that, the studio confirmed that there will be no new content for the game but emphasized keeping the game accessible and stable with support for bug fixes and in-game events.

This move from the studio coincides with massive layoffs at Microsoft, the largest in over two years, with approximately 9,000 employees cut globally. This heavily impacted the Xbox gaming division and its subsidiaries, including Blizzard. These layoffs represent about 4% of Microsoft’s total workforce and are part of a broader effort to redirect resources toward artificial intelligence and other priorities.

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer explained that the company is “ending or decreasing work in certain areas of the business” to focus on strategic growth areas. These cuts led to the cancellation of popular projects like the Perfect Dark reboot and Everwild, the shutdown of The Initiative, and reshuffling across Microsoft’s gaming teams. For Blizzard, these layoffs mean reallocating resources from less successful ventures like Warcraft Rumble to core franchises.