Media Industry Faces Layoffs and Leadership Turmoil Amid Strategic Shifts

The media industry is experiencing significant upheaval as companies navigate layoffs, leadership changes, and strategic pivots. Amazon Game Studios announced it will divest its MMO publishing responsibilities for 'Lost Ark' and 'Throne and Liberty' back to developers NC and Smilegate, respectively, as part of a strategy shift away from massively multiplayer online games. This move follows broader industry trends of restructuring and cost-cutting, with reports of new layoff plans at Oracle and ongoing protests at Bethesda over 2026 job cuts.