It has been a turbulent time for Xbox, and amid the turbulence, former PlayStation chairman Shawn Layden has taken to social media to comment on the company’s recent moves. Following a strong showing at the Xbox Games Showcase for 2026, multiple reports have emerged that Xbox plans to close several studios and lay off staff for the rest of the year.
The first 100 days at Xbox with its new CEO, Asha Sharma, have been filled with highs and lows. While Xbox did score a huge win with Game Pass getting a price reduction, the company seems to be in a bit of an identity crisis right now. Between Xbox going back to console exclusives with Gears of War: E-Day, but not really, because Fable is still on PS5, and stating that Project Helix could cost a lot due to the ongoing memory shortage, but also claiming that companies can’t win with expensive hardware, it seems like the company is sending some mixed messages. Not to mention the huge number of layoffs reportedly coming to Xbox soon, many of which had games recently shown at the Xbox Games Showcase.
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Former PlayStation Executive Says Xbox Has a Basic Misunderstanding of the Games Industry
Amid all the back-and-forth that Xbox has engaged in over the past 100 days, former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has responded to a LinkedIn post detailing the verbal ping-pong the company has been doing, stating that current Xbox leadership has a “basic misunderstanding of how the interactive entertainment world moves.” Layden does preface his post by saying that he’s risking sounding like a “hater,” but he’s really not. In Layden’s view of the industry, he vaguely states, “iykyk (if you know, you know), and if you don’t, you don’t.” At present, Layden hasn’t clarified what he means by that last bit, but as the chairman who led PlayStation through one of its most prosperous eras, it’s easy to believe he has a good grasp of what works in the industry and what doesn’t.
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Shawn Layden was in charge of PlayStation between 2014 and 2019, the period during which PS4 dominated Xbox One in sales and the era that former Xbox CEO Phil Spencer famously said was when Xbox lost the console war. Layden’s statements point to Xbox’s current issue not necessarily being its messaging, but its actions. A lot of what has been going on with Xbox is the company saying that things will change and get better, and it’s trying to sell a brand-new version of the Xbox brand, but it continues to contradict itself and not deliver anything new that fans have been waiting for, at least not yet. However, the Xbox Games Showcase did show a lot of promise for the company.
The current state of Xbox is in flux, and the company has plenty lined up for the next year that could turn the tide in its favor. Gears of War: E-Day and Fable looked particularly strong at the Xbox Games Showcase and could be the hits that Xbox needs to keep its momentum after Forza Horizon 6. However, the rumored layoffs and studio closures don’t bode well for the company, especially after some notable longtime veterans of the industry have started leaving Xbox for seemingly vague reasons.
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Wherever Xbox goes, hopefully, it all works out for the company. Shawn Layden could seem like a “hater” to some, but he does have plenty of experience leading PlayStation. Fans will have to wait and see whether Asha Sharma and Matt Booty take this feedback to heart, and where Xbox goes in the next 100 days.
