King, the studio behind Candy Crush Saga, has reportedly cut around 200 jobs in level design and narrative copywriting, then deployed the very AI tools those teams spent months creating. The move has left remaining staff demoralised and reignited ethical debates over AI replacing human labour in game development.
Key Takeaways
King laid off roughly 200 employees, primarily in level design and copywriting teams.
AI tools developed by these teams are now automating their former roles.
Internal surveys describe morale as “in the gutter” and target dissenting voices.
Similar trends are emerging across Microsoft’s gaming divisions.
Raises broader ethical questions about efficiency versus human creativity.
Background
In 2023 Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard King for $69 billion, citing mobile gaming’s growth. Earlier this month, King announced a 10% workforce reduction—about 200 roles—affecting their Stockholm and London studios. The cuts focused on middle management, UX research, level designers working on titles like Farm Heroes Saga, and narrative copywriters.
Microsoft said the layoffs formed part of a wider effort to streamline operations across its gaming divisions, which have already seen four rounds of job cuts in eighteen months.
AI Tools In Action
King has long experimented with AI to accelerate design: AI playtesting bots run through levels thousands of times, gathering metrics on difficulty, shuffle frequency and completion rates. Designers then refine levels based on those insights.
A tool atop this system performs “automatic tweaking” of level parameters, optimising for player engagement without human intervention.
Department | AI Function |
|---|---|
Level Design | Automated level crafting and performance testing |
Narrative Copy | AI-generated story snippets and dialogue prompts |
According to King’s own director of AI Labs, Sahar Asadi, these tools were intended to assist designers—not replace them.
Employee Reaction And Morale
Former staff told MobileGamer.biz that many spent months training these very AI systems, only to have their roles eliminated.
“Most of level design has been wiped, which is crazy since they spent months building tools to craft levels quicker,” one ex-employee said. “Now those AI tools are basically replacing the teams.”
An internal survey revealed morale at an all-time low. Staff who voiced criticism of the HR department—which some describe as prioritising company interests over employee welfare—reportedly found themselves on the layoff list.
Several affected employees remain in limbo pending union negotiations due to conclude in September.
Industry Implications
King’s move mirrors similar reports at other Microsoft studios: employees across Xbox and Activision Blizzard divisions have been told to use AI to rewrite resumes and apply for new positions. Meanwhile, Microsoft plans to invest $80 billion in AI technology this fiscal year—more than the total cost of its major gaming acquisitions.
The trend underscores a tension between profitability and creative labour. While AI can accelerate repetitive tasks, critics warn that wholesale replacement risks eroding the human touch that underpins player engagement and innovation.
As AI continues to mature, studios will need to balance efficiency gains with the ethical and creative value of their workforce.
