Ben Starr has accused Microsoft of communicating several “lies” ahead of the mass layoffs at Xbox. The award-winning actor made the comments as part of a wider criticism of the strategy that led Xbox to its current situation, with the company's own leadership admitting the business is “not healthy”.
On July 6, Xbox announced mass layoffs affecting 3,200 employees. About half of those roles were eliminated immediately, while the remainder are slated to be cut during the company's current fiscal year, which ends in June 2027. The cuts will shrink Xbox's 15,000-person workforce by about 20%, not only marking the division's most significant restructuring yet, but also capping by far the biggest wave in the gaming industry.
It is now clear that consolidation is not a good thing, claims the actor
Final Fantasy 16 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star Ben Starr condemned the Xbox layoffs during a recent appearance on the Pause for Thought Podcast, accusing Microsoft of making several false claims in the years, and even weeks, before its historic workforce cuts. The actor traced the first of these claims to Microsoft's acquisition push in 2018 and 2019, arguing that the company presented consolidation as a way to protect creative studios. “It may not have seemed like a lie at the time, but it is now known to be a lie that consolidation is a good thing,” he said.
Starr urged viewers to revisit Microsoft's storefronts from that period, which he said were marked by “hubris,” and reconsider the implicit promise that joining a larger corporate parent would give developers the financial security to pursue ambitious projects. “Consolidation is a good thing. Consolidation is protection,” he said, summing up the company's message before dismissing it outright. “It's just not true.” For context, 2018 is the period when Xbox went on a huge shopping spree that kick-started its game development success, buying Playground Games, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, Compulsion Games, Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment – in that order.
It may not have seemed like a lie at the time, but it is now known to be a lie that consolidation is a good thing.
Ben Starr criticizes Dishonest Senua 3 announcement at Xbox Games Showcase 2026
The second number Starr highlighted during the podcast was more immediate. He criticized Xbox for using its June 2026 showcase to announce a third Senua game from Ninja Theory and promote it as an Xbox Game Pass release, even though they have no intention of funding the project. His remark appeared to refer to a recent Game File report that claimed that Senua was announced solely to attract potential buyers to the developer. While Xbox later said it was indeed successful in finding a buyer for the studio, Starr labeled the announcement itself as dishonest. “Was it so hard for you to take it [Senua reveal] out?” he asked rhetorically. “What you've said from a communications perspective is that we're willing to lie, so how much do I trust you if you ever go for it?” He added that the situation was not “one individual's problem,” but a broader “marketing problem.”
Starr also criticized Microsoft for portraying Compulsion Games and Double Fine going independent as a positive development. The “Resetting Xbox” memo sent to employees on July 6 said the two studios would retain their intellectual property rights and game catalogs, while receiving enough financial support to begin work on their next projects. “It's amazing how they're trying to spin it,” Starr said, dismissing the company's framing of the moves as “good news” because many people he knows have been left in dire circumstances. “They're losing their jobs and they don't know why,” the actor said.
