Candy Crush Developers Set To Be Laid Off By Microsoft Are Reportedly Being Replaced By The AI Tools They Were Told To Build

Candy Crush Developers Set To Be Laid Off By Microsoft Are Reportedly Being Replaced By The AI Tools They Were Told To Build

Candy Crush developers at King who are caught up in Microsoft's recent mass layoff are being replaced by the AI tools they were told to build

wccftech.com

Candy Crush studio King is reportedly axing over 200 devs as part of Microsoft’s latest mass layoffs—and replacing them with the very AI tools those teams were told to build. After buying King to supercharge its mobile gaming push, Microsoft is now leaning hard into generative AI, cutting level designers and copywriters who spent months crafting tools meant to help them, not replace them.

Insiders say the layoffs feel “arbitrary,” with outspoken employees targeted and an HR department described as “an absolute shitshow.” An internal memo frames the move as a bid for “fewer layers, fewer meetings and unlocking more AI tools,” even though just last year King promised AI would tackle menial work, leaving creative tasks to humans.