Xbox boss Phil Spencer acknowledges "hard decisions" to close studios in first public comment

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has commented publicly for the first time on recent Microsoft studio closures, stating he has to “run a sustainable business inside the company and grow”.

Last month, Xbox made the shock decision to close a number of Bethesda studios, including Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin.

Now, in an interview with IGN, Spencer has finally addressed the closures.

“The closure of any team is hard obviously on the individuals there, hard on the team,” he said. “I haven’t been talking publicly about this, because right now is the time for us to focus on the team and the individuals. It’s obviously a decision that’s very hard on them, and I want to make sure through severance and other things that we’re doing the right thing for the individuals on the team. It’s not about my PR, it’s not about Xbox PR. It’s about those teams.