Ninja Theory staff confirm job losses as Xbox closure plan moves forward

Staff at Ninja Theory, the studio behind Hellblade, have started to confirm they are losing their jobs. The announcements follow Xbox's warning that the studio faces closure.

The confirmations have been posted on LinkedIn by developers who say they face redundancy or their roles have ended. Those named so far include Alessio Mellina, Katrin Mair, Xoe Subari, Loong-Wei Ding and Matteo Tummino. Matt Le-Fevre, Pietro Berto, Justin Pedersen and Daniele Galante have also posted, according to Video Games Chronicle.

Xbox said it could not reach an agreement to keep Ninja Theory open or to let it go independent. Chief operating officer Matt Booty said two separate agreements for the studio fell through. That left shutdown as the outcome on the table.

Xbox said it will begin consultation with employees on a proposed closure. Consultation is a formal discussion with staff that takes place before large-scale job losses are confirmed. The company said it continues to explore other paths forward while that process runs.

The closure warning was published as 'Continuing Our Reset' on Xbox Wire on 22 September 2026. It followed an update announced on 6 July 2026, when Xbox said Ninja Theory and Undead Labs had entered terms to join new ownership. Xbox said at the time that those terms included funding to complete and grow Senua and State of Decay 3, according to Xbox Wire. Senua, the third game in the Hellblade series, was announced during the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2026 with a release set for 2027. That 2027 date is the last announced date.

The studio decision sits inside a wider reset of Xbox-owned teams. The second wave of planned cuts added 268 layoffs on top of 1,600 in the first wave. Xbox has divested five internal studios: Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs and Arkane, according to GamesIndustry.biz. On 10 June 2026, Reuters reported that Xbox planned major layoffs the next month alongside significant cuts to marketing and other budgets. As of 15 June 2026, Compulsion Games and Double Fine were in active talks with Xbox about spinning off to go independent, meaning separation from Xbox ownership, according to Bloomberg.

For fans waiting for Senua, the wait now carries a different weight. Behind a 2027 date are people posting job updates in real time.