Katarzyna Petru
In the gaming world, things are heating up again. Microsoft plans more massive layoffs in the Xbox division, Netflix is removing over 20 games from its catalog, while Sony and Nintendo calmly reap the fruits of their strategy. Two different trajectories — one shows growth through predictability, the other seeks a new identity in chaos.
Xbox and the "end of the console era"?
According to Bloomberg reports, Microsoft is preparing a "major round of layoffs" at Xbox — likely next week, coinciding with the end of the fiscal year. Thousands of employees are said to be affected. This will be the fourth wave of job cuts in the past 18 months.
In the background — a record acquisition of Activision Blizzard for 69 billion dollars and an increasingly clear shift towards streaming. Microsoft is talking less about consoles and more about the idea that "every device is an Xbox." In theory, it sounds fresh, but the technical reality still lags behind — the Xbox app is still unavailable on either Apple TV or Google TV.
There is also a lack of a compelling ecosystem that could withstand competition from the PS5 and Switch 2. The availability of Xbox consoles in the global market is increasingly faltering. If the "no console" strategy is to succeed, the results so far are... difficult to assess.
Netflix is scaling back. 22 games are disappearing from the catalog
It’s not just Microsoft changing direction. Netflix, which has been boldly experimenting with games since 2021, is removing as many as 22 titles from its library in July. Among those disappearing are Hades, Katana Zero, Monument Valley (all parts), and games from the Golden Idol series. These are games praised by critics, raising questions about the future viability of this model.
The new head of Netflix Games, Alain Tascan, is announcing changes and shifting focus to native games for televisions, which are expected to launch by the end of 2025. For now, however, Netflix is sticking with mobile games on Android and iOS, and experiments with streaming have still not gone beyond the testing phase.
Meanwhile, Sony and Nintendo...
While the competition cuts, reorganizes, and seeks a new identity, Sony and Nintendo simply do their thing — with good results. The PS5 dominates in Europe, North America, and Asia, and Microsoft's release of its exclusives has only given the console a boost.
Nintendo, on the other hand, has broken another record. The Switch 2 has become the fastest-selling console in history, even dethroning its predecessor. No revolution in communication, but continuous evolution — and it works.
What's next?
The gaming industry is clearly splitting into those who know what they want to achieve — and those who are still searching for a new path. Xbox and Netflix are trying to move beyond classic models, but for now, the results are more costly than groundbreaking.
Is this a temporary crisis? Or is it a signal that the future of gaming may not necessarily look like what we imagined 3-4 years ago?
