The recent slew of days has casted quite an ominous shadow over Xbox – especially Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer. Many of the disgruntled comments towards the platform sourced from the latest spree of layoffs issued by Microsoft. Situations such as the closure of The Initiative & canceling of Perfect Dark as well as Everwild being stopped indefinitely resulting in veteran staff to exit developer Rare.

Additionally, new information that sprouted from the mass firings reveals that even Forza Motorsport team Turn 10 Studios has been hit majorly. In that, the studio was reduced to supporting efforts at Playground Games for Forza Horizon – effectively closing work on the original franchise. Even the recent motion by Microsoft is the closing of Romero Games as developers for the Irish team say its funding was cut then.

Amid the noise against the Xbox brand, there has been other reports that plays to the same tune. According to InsiderGaming, Tom Henderson reported that sources within Microsoft Gaming has relayed the soon retirement for Phil Spencer after the newest wave of layoffs. The problem is that Microsoft responded expressing the rumor to be entirely untrue.

In an exchange on X, Henderson commented “I think I summed it up in the article just fine” when questioned how true his reporting was on Spencer’s retirement. However, Microsoft communications lead Frank Shaw went on to chime in issuing that the entire piece was nothing more than a fabrication. “So long as by ‘summed it up’ you mean ‘made it up,’” Shaw wrote.

Atop of the rubble from these Xbox layoffs, there are some relieving news that did not impact other Xbox operations. Specifically, next-generation Xbox hardware has been untouched as well as Hideo Kojima’s cloud passion project ‘OD’ is to remain as well, Windows Central reports. You can read the full report by heading here.

Are you for or against Spencer’s exit from Xbox?