Microsoft lays off a longtime Xbox employee associated with the platform’s backwards compatibility and cloud gaming features, according to Metro. The outlet reports that the person leaves the company after about 37 years at Microsoft. The same report places the departure within a broader round of cuts across the games industry and Microsoft’s gaming teams, noting that Obsidian Entertainment also reduces staffing, with roughly 25% of its development staff laid off. Other included headlines referenced in the provided materials describe additional mass layoffs affecting Microsoft and studios such as id Software, and a shift in focus toward major franchises. Taken together, the coverage indicates that the layoffs impact multiple parts of Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem, including both internal Xbox-related roles and external game development partners. The sources provided do not name the employee or specify whether the backwards compatibility and cloud gaming work changes immediately, but they consistently frame the job loss as part of a wider restructuring that reduces headcount.