King studio, the developer of Candy Crush Saga and a subsidiary of Microsoft, laid off around 200 employees as part of large-scale cuts announced in early July 2025. According to MobileGamer.biz, many of the laid-off specialists, including level designers, UX designers, and writers, spent recent years building and training the artificial intelligence tools that are now replacing their jobs.
According to anonymous sources, AI tools developed by the laid-off employees are “effectively replacing” level design and narrative teams. The Farm Heroes Saga team in the London office was hit particularly hard, with nearly half of the staff facing redundancy. One source described what was happening as “absolutely disgusting,” emphasizing that the focus is on efficiency and profit despite the company’s financial success.
The cuts affected not only rank-and-file employees, but also middle management, as well as user experience research and writing teams. An internal memo indicates that King is aiming for “business growth” through the adoption of “a suite of new AI tools” and the optimization of the company’s structure.
Morale at King is at an all-time low, according to an internal survey, compounded by the current redundancies and ongoing negotiations with trade unions. Some employees claim that the layoffs may have targeted those who openly voiced dissatisfaction with management or company processes.
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Image source: King