Xbox Staff Face Four-day Office Rule After Layoffs, Within 50 Miles

WHO:

Kotaku - Jacinda Chislum Pearson, Xbox chief people officer, informed staff of the office requirement.

The Verge - Pearson’s internal memo set out the change for Xbox employees in Puget Sound who live within 50 commuting miles of Studio D.

The Verge - The policy applies to most Xbox employees close to Microsoft’s corporate campus in Redmond, Washington; established in-office practices for Xbox studios appear unchanged.

Kotaku - Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is named in connection with the gaming division’s goals and its gaming OS and Windows teams.

WHAT:

Kotaku - Xbox is undergoing a “reset” that the article says is on course to cut 20 percent of its headcount; the article reports hundreds more layoffs are looming.

The Verge - Microsoft said it planned to eliminate around 20 percent of Xbox jobs by the end of its financial year.

Kotaku - The new mandate requires eligible employees to work in the office at least four days per week, up from three.

The Verge - Employees with existing return-to-office exemptions must resubmit them.

Kotaku - Pearson said leaders should be present and that office days should not consist of “spending the same day on Teams calls from a different building.”

The Verge - Pearson said “Time well spent means reviewing work, solving problems, and playing games together, strengthening our path to becoming one Xbox.”

WHERE:

Kotaku - The requirement covers Xbox employees in Puget Sound living within 50 commuting miles of Studio D.

The Verge - The policy applies to employees close to Microsoft’s corporate campus in Redmond, Washington; Pearson cited thousands of Xbox employees within commuting distance of Redmond.

WHEN:

The Verge - The four-day office requirement begins “February 1st, 2027.”

The Verge - Microsoft’s stated plan was to eliminate around 20 percent of Xbox jobs by the end of its financial year, which ends in June 2027.

WHY:

The Verge - The internal memo described a “need to create more opportunities for people to work together” following feedback from Xbox employees.

Kotaku - Pearson said working together in person makes it easier to review work, resolve issues, and make decisions without scheduling another meeting.

The Verge - Pearson said the policy should make commuting “worth the investment,” particularly for employees 40–50 miles away.

HOW:

Kotaku - Managers are expected to be present on in-office days; Pearson said employees should use that time to review work, solve problems, and play games together.

The Verge - The change raises Microsoft’s previous three-day-per-week office requirement to four days for covered Xbox employees.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 11:10 UTC)

Xbox is increasing its office requirement as the gaming division undergoes a reset that Microsoft says will eliminate around 20 percent of its jobs by the end of its financial year, in June 2027. Starting February 1st, 2027, eligible employees in the Puget Sound area who live within 50 commuting miles of Studio D must work in the office at least four days a week, up from three. The policy covers most Xbox staff near Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, campus, while established practices at Xbox studios appear unchanged. Employees with existing exemptions must submit them again. Xbox chief people officer Jacinda Chislum Pearson said leaders should be present, and office time should help teams review work, solve problems, and make decisions together. She said the change follows employee feedback and is meant to make commuting worthwhile.