Juan Vaca of Gears of War: E-Day hit by Xbox layoffs on 22 September 2026

• The layoffs were part of a broader restructuring on 22 September 2026; reports cite 268 layoffs, while other coverage says more than 260 employees were impacted.
• According to Kotaku, Vaca had posted on 17 September 2026 that Gears of War: E-Day had gone gold.

What happened

Xbox announced a new round of layoffs and studio changes within Microsoft Gaming on 22 September 2026. Kotaku says 268 employees were affected, while other reporting puts the number at more than 260. The exact count varies by source, but both place the move within the same restructuring.

Juan Vaca is named in that reporting as one of the employees impacted. Vaca worked at The Coalition as story director on Gears of War: E-Day and, according to the sources, said on LinkedIn that he was open to new opportunities in games, film, and TV. IGN also reports that he had worked at The Coalition for four years.

The timing is notable. Kotaku says Vaca posted on 17 September 2026 that Gears of War: E-Day had gone gold, four days before the layoff round became public. IGN adds that the game was due to enter early access shortly after and was scheduled to launch on 6 October 2026.

There is still no definitive confirmation in the available reporting about the impact on The Coalition itself. IGN says it is unclear what Microsoft plans to do with the studio after the release of Gears of War: E-Day.

Background

The layoffs are part of a broader restructuring across Microsoft’s gaming business. The available sources do not provide a full list of studios or roles, so it is not confirmed how many people at The Coalition were affected.

The reporting does directly connect the layoff round to Gears of War: E-Day, since Vaca had just announced the game’s gold status days earlier. That gives a clear snapshot of a major production milestone, but it does not confirm any delays or content changes to the game.

IGN also stresses that Microsoft’s plans for The Coalition after Gears of War: E-Day remain unclear. Based on the available information, Vaca’s layoff impact is confirmed, but the wider studio picture is not.

Related GAME-scanner articles

• Xbox reportedly preparing second layoff round and studio consolidation, says Eurogamer
• Xbox confirms 268 more layoffs in broader Microsoft Gaming restructuring
• Xbox says restructuring is not over after 268 more layoffs

Sources

• Kotaku: "Gears of War: E-Day story director laid off just four days after celebrating the game going gold"
• IGN: "Gears of War: E-Day story director laid off just a week before early access launch"