Mike Ibarra did not justify Microsoft's decision to close four studios and fire dozens of people, but asked not to particularly criticize Phil Spencer
Former Blizzard director Mike Ibarra decided to stand up for Xbox head Phil Spencer, who faced a huge barrage of criticism after news of Microsoft's plans to close four internal studios at once, including Arkane Austin (Redfall), Roundhouse (The Elder Scrolls Online), Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush, The Evil Within) and Alpha Dog (Mighty Doom).
“I'm seeing a lot of criticism of Phil after the recent news from Xbox. I understand. But, knowing him personally, I can say that this hurts him as much as anyone else. I won’t speak for the entire [Microsoft] leadership, but I know him and I can imagine what he’s going through right now […] he’s a good person and cares deeply about the creative process and developers.” .
***
Image credit: VGC. Image source: VGC