Amazon recently announced that it has made the decision to cut 180 jobs from its gaming division. According to reports from insiders speaking to Reuters, this includes the entire Crown channel on Twitch as well as the company's Game Growth team.
One of the casualties of this decision is the Crown livestream channel, where popular game streamers participated in entertainment shows. This information was revealed in a memo from Amazon Gaming vice president, Christoph Hartmann, which was obtained by Reuters. The Game Growth team, which played a key role in helping developers promote their games, will also be completely eliminated.
Amazon has stated that the reason behind these job cuts is to refocus its resources on areas of growth. One of the main areas of focus for Amazon moving forward is the development of its own games. Despite the recent layoffs, Amazon is still gearing up to release new titles, including Throne and Liberty, Blue Protocol, as well as new installments in the Tomb Raider and The Lord of the Rings series, as confirmed by Hartmann.
Additionally, Amazon is looking to expand its presence in the gaming industry by placing more emphasis on distributing games through its Amazon Prime subscription service. Subscribers to Amazon Prime already receive free games each month, and the company wants to build on that offering. Earlier this year, Amazon underwent a restructuring of its gaming division, which resulted in approximately one hundred job cuts.
As Amazon continues to navigate the ever-evolving gaming landscape, it remains to be seen how these changes will impact the company's overall strategy and future plans in the gaming industry.
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