Former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra says Microsoft head of gaming Phil Spencer will be hurting ‘as much as anyone else’ after the company made the decision to close multiple Bethesda studios including Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks. Ybarra’s message has drawn plenty of criticism online for trying to generate sympathy for a high-paid executive at Microsoft.
Mike Ybarra took to Twitter/X shortly after news broke about Microsoft’s decision to cut several jobs and close a handful of Bethesda studios. In his message, he claimed that Phil Spencer was hurting as well, saying, “I see a lot of shots at Phil over today’s Xbox announcements. I get it. But knowing him as a human, I know this hurts him as much as anyone else. I can’t speak for all of the leadership there, but I do know him and I do know what he is likely going through.”
Ybarra continued:
“I’m not trying to defend the decisions. I think we all get ourselves into situations that are tough and unexpected (certainly I have). It’s part of the job, as is the accountability for the outcomes. But he’s a good human and he cares deeply for the creative process and developers. That’s my first hand experience in working closely with him for 8+ years and knowing him for 24+.”
“I 100% understand the anger and confusion, and I feel deeply sorry for those teams impacted today and over the last few months,” Ybarra added. “I didn’t agree with every decision he made at Xbox, and I think that was pretty clear, but I do believe in his product leadership and I know how hard these decisions can be.”
I see a lot of shots at Phil over today’s Xbox announcements. I get it. But knowing him as a human, I know this hurts him as much as anyone else. I can’t speak for all of the leadership there, but I do know him and I do know what he is likely going through.
I’m not trying to…
— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) May 7, 2024
Ybarra’s message drew quite a bit of criticism, even from fellow developers. Alanah Pearce, a writer at God of War developer Santa Monica Studio, replied, “Mike, I have a lot of fondness for Phil and don’t doubt he’s incredibly bummed about this, but CEOs can handle some “shots” amidst people having their lives destroyed. Your sympathetic posts should solely be directed at those who’ve lost their jobs.”
Source: Mike Ybarra
