Gears of War: E-Day is close to launch, but Microsoft’s latest Xbox reset has still reached the creative team behind the franchise. While The Coalition was not named in Matt Booty’s “Continuing Our Reset” post, story director Juan Vaca confirmed in a LinkedIn update that he was part of the round of layoffs and is open to new opportunities in games, film, and TV.
At Digital Tech Explorer, we cover gaming industry news with a focus on what studio decisions mean for players, developers, and the broader tech landscape. TechTalesLeo, who covers technology and gaming trends for Digital Tech Explorer, has been following the PC games side of the story closely, and this development feels especially sharp because E-Day went gold just days before the layoffs, with a full release planned for Oct. 6.
“I am part of this round of Microsoft layoffs and am open to new opportunities in games/film/tv,” Vaca wrote. “If your team needs a director/storyteller, please reach out.”
Game Industry Layoffs Are Hitting Successful Studios Too
The pattern is increasingly clear: success, sales, acclaim, and long development cycles no longer seem like enough protection. Bit Reactor, the developer behind Star Wars Zero Company, reportedly furloughed most of its staff despite over a million copies sold and glowing reviews.
The same pressure appeared when an Apex Legends writer was reportedly laid off 24 hours after a character reveal for a character she spent a year writing.
More Games Industry News and PC Games to Explore
For a sobering look at the phenomenon, read this PC Gamer breakdown of video-game industry layoffs. For more related coverage, explore our guides to 2026 games, best PC games, free PC games, and best co-op games.
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