Xbox is moving to four office days in February: how is your team taking it?

On Oct 21, 2026, Xbox chief people officer Jacinda Chislum Pearson told staff that starting February 1, 2027, Xbox employees in the Puget Sound area who live within 50 commuting miles of Studio D need to be in the office at least four days a week. Microsoft's wider rule is three. What's been reported so far:• The memo says the change responds to employee feedback, and that being together makes it easier to review work, resolve issues and make decisions without scheduling another meeting.• Leaders are expected to be in on those days too, and the memo puts it on managers to make the time in the office worth the commute.• According to The Verge, Xbox studios with their own in-office practices keep them, and anyone with a role-based exception has to apply for it again.• It lands in the middle of the Xbox reset, which is expected to cut about 20 percent of Xbox jobs, with more layoffs reported for the coming months. If you work at Xbox, we'd like to hear:• Has your manager said how the fourth day will actually be used?• If you live past the 50 mile line, has anyone told you what that means for you?• Is anyone planning to move, ask for an exception or start looking elsewhere because of this? This thread was started by the Know The Boss team, and we'll update it as more details come out. Sources:theverge.com ↗kotaku.com ↗insider-gaming.com ↗

Know The Boss team · 4d ago