"Microsoft Axes Nearly 9% of Its Gaming Workforce Following Activision Blizzard Acquisition; 1,900 Roles Cut to Reduce Overlap"

Microsoft lays off 1,900 workers, nearly 9% of gaming division, after Activision Blizzard acquisition

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella listens to an audience member's question during the company's annual shareholder meeting in Bellevue, Washington, Nov. 30, 2016.Stephen Brashear | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesMicrosoft will lay off around 1,900 employees in its Gaming unit, or around 9% of Microsoft Gaming's 22,000 employees, according to a Thursday memo obtained by CNBC.Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said that the layoffs were part of a larger "execution plan" that would reduce "areas of overl...