Updated

Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 workers, just over a quarter of its staff, as it invests heavily in AI, according to reports on October 26, 2026. The offer reportedly covers employees in the US, UK, India and Canada. It comes amid sweeping Xbox layoffs. Xbox's first chief operating officer, Helen Chiang, left months after being promoted under CEO Asha Sharma, and the reasons remain unclear.