July 2025 kicked off with devastating news for Microsoft employees, as it laid off 9,000 workers across the entire company, with a significant number of those layoffs hitting Xbox and Microsoft's gaming division. Studios and game projects were shut down, veteran developers were either laid off or left because of the cuts, and amid reports that the layoffs are directly related to Microsoft wanting to invest more in its AI efforts, Microsoft and Xbox executives have failed to read the room multiple times.
While claims were circulating that Microsoft and Xbox are "trying their damndest to replace jobs with AI agents," it was unfortunate, to say the least, that a seemingly automated invite went out to developers inviting them to a roundtable at Gamescom 2025 all about how AI tools can aid in game development. Disdain towards Xbox, Microsoft, and the c-suite executives who didn't lose their jobs compounded when an executive producer at Xbox suggested that laid-off workers confide in ChatGPT to help them cope with being laid off.
At least executive producer Matt Turnbull's ill-advised LinkedIn post was, at least on the surface, an attempt to help laid-off workers. Principal development lead for Xbox Graphics, Mike Matsel's post, however, is somehow even more tone-deaf and bull-headed. Matsel put out a call that the Xbox Graphics team was hiring two roles. He specified that the team is looking for people "with experience with device drivers, GPU performance, or related validation or engineering system experience." He then links the two job postings, and tells people to message him directly if the postings on Microsoft's website claim to be closed.
That's all fine and well, and even though putting out a hiring call a little more than a week after mass layoffs is never a good look, it's unfortunately a common occurrence. What cinches Matsel's post as tone-deaf, is that he shares an AI-generated image along with his post, which shows someone working at a desktop, presumably looking at nothing, since the image shows their screen on the backside of the monitor.
The comments are, unsurprisingly, filled with people digging into Matsel for posting the image, with one person saying "You could have just sketched an ad on paint, at least it would have been funny. This is just embarrassing." Another, seemingly referencing Matsel's lack of care in his post, wrote, "I too can post AI slop. Put me on the team, coach!"
You have to wonder whether Turnbull and Matsel made their posts earnestly, or if they were baiting the uproar that both posts have caused. Neither is a good look, because if they earnestly made these posts, then that shows a huge inability to read a room, and a lack of understanding as to how they should communicate with others, whether that's trying to communicate a message of empathy, or opportunity.
If they were baiting the reactions, it's surprising and disappointing to see two high-level executives seeking enjoyment out of a situation that has devastated hundreds of their former coworkers and each of their families.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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