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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
With this lineup, Sony is betting heavily on ongoing games, and it has 12 live-service titles in production right now, on top of Bungie’s Destiny franchise. These include Haven’s Fairgame$ and a multiplayer Horizon title from Guerilla.
“By expanding to PC and mobile, and… also to live services, we have the opportunity to move from a situation of being present in a very narrow segment of the overall gaming software market, to being present pretty much everywhere," Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan said in 2022.
For the companies at the top, total domination is the goal.
Even still, Tencent is bigger than both Sony and Microsoft. Tencent is not a console manufacturer, so it isn’t a household name among most players, but it’s one of the largest companies in the world, and it wields a ridiculous amount of financial power in video games. Tencent owns a portion of Bloober Team, Bohemia Interactive, Don’t Nod, Epic, Paradox Interactive, PlatinumGames, Remedy Entertainment, Roblox and Ubisoft, among others.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
These include Haven’s Fairgame$ and a multiplayer Horizon title from Guerilla.
“By expanding to PC and mobile, and… also to live services, we have the opportunity to move from a situation of being present in a very narrow segment of the overall gaming software market, to being present pretty much everywhere," Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan said in 2022.
For the companies at the top, total domination is the goal.
Even still, Tencent is bigger than both Sony and Microsoft. Tencent is not a console manufacturer, so it isn’t a household name among most players, but it’s one of the largest companies in the world, and it wields a ridiculous amount of financial power in video games. Tencent owns a portion of Bloober Team, Bohemia Interactive, Don’t Nod, Epic, Paradox Interactive, PlatinumGames, Remedy Entertainment, Roblox and Ubisoft, among others. It has a majority stake in Supercell, Grinding Gear Games, Klei Entertainment, Tequila Works, Techland, Yager Development and others.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
For the companies at the top, total domination is the goal.
Even still, Tencent is bigger than both Sony and Microsoft. Tencent is not a console manufacturer, so it isn’t a household name among most players, but it’s one of the largest companies in the world, and it wields a ridiculous amount of financial power in video games. Tencent owns a portion of Bloober Team, Bohemia Interactive, Don’t Nod, Epic, Paradox Interactive, PlatinumGames, Remedy Entertainment, Roblox and Ubisoft, among others. It has a majority stake in Supercell, Grinding Gear Games, Klei Entertainment, Tequila Works, Techland, Yager Development and others. It fully owns Riot Games, Funcom, Sharkmob, Turtle Rock Studios, and, of course, others. It also runs multiple internal development companies, including the Level Infinite and Tencent Games publishing labels.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Sure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Even still, Tencent is bigger than both Sony and Microsoft. Tencent is not a console manufacturer, so it isn’t a household name among most players, but it’s one of the largest companies in the world, and it wields a ridiculous amount of financial power in video games. Tencent owns a portion of Bloober Team, Bohemia Interactive, Don’t Nod, Epic, Paradox Interactive, PlatinumGames, Remedy Entertainment, Roblox and Ubisoft, among others. It has a majority stake in Supercell, Grinding Gear Games, Klei Entertainment, Tequila Works, Techland, Yager Development and others. It fully owns Riot Games, Funcom, Sharkmob, Turtle Rock Studios, and, of course, others. It also runs multiple internal development companies, including the Level Infinite and Tencent Games publishing labels.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Sure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger. This investment alone means any time you buy a game built on Epic’s Unreal Engine, Tencent (and Sony) is getting a cut.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Tencent owns a portion of Bloober Team, Bohemia Interactive, Don’t Nod, Epic, Paradox Interactive, PlatinumGames, Remedy Entertainment, Roblox and Ubisoft, among others. It has a majority stake in Supercell, Grinding Gear Games, Klei Entertainment, Tequila Works, Techland, Yager Development and others. It fully owns Riot Games, Funcom, Sharkmob, Turtle Rock Studios, and, of course, others. It also runs multiple internal development companies, including the Level Infinite and Tencent Games publishing labels.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Sure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger. This investment alone means any time you buy a game built on Epic’s Unreal Engine, Tencent (and Sony) is getting a cut. Tencent is the biggest investor in games, with thousands of tendrils across the industry — if you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Tencent owns a portion of Bloober Team, Bohemia Interactive, Don’t Nod, Epic, Paradox Interactive, PlatinumGames, Remedy Entertainment, Roblox and Ubisoft, among others. It has a majority stake in Supercell, Grinding Gear Games, Klei Entertainment, Tequila Works, Techland, Yager Development and others. It fully owns Riot Games, Funcom, Sharkmob, Turtle Rock Studios, and, of course, others. It also runs multiple internal development companies, including the Level Infinite and Tencent Games publishing labels.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Sure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger. This investment alone means any time you buy a game built on Epic’s Unreal Engine, Tencent (and Sony) is getting a cut. Tencent is the biggest investor in games, with thousands of tendrils across the industry — if you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.
On a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
It has a majority stake in Supercell, Grinding Gear Games, Klei Entertainment, Tequila Works, Techland, Yager Development and others. It fully owns Riot Games, Funcom, Sharkmob, Turtle Rock Studios, and, of course, others. It also runs multiple internal development companies, including the Level Infinite and Tencent Games publishing labels.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Sure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger. This investment alone means any time you buy a game built on Epic’s Unreal Engine, Tencent (and Sony) is getting a cut. Tencent is the biggest investor in games, with thousands of tendrils across the industry — if you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.
On a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently. Devolver started buying studios in 2020, and it now owns Croteam, Dodge Roll, Doinksoft, Firefly Studios, Nerial and System Era Softworks.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
It fully owns Riot Games, Funcom, Sharkmob, Turtle Rock Studios, and, of course, others. It also runs multiple internal development companies, including the Level Infinite and Tencent Games publishing labels.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Sure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger. This investment alone means any time you buy a game built on Epic’s Unreal Engine, Tencent (and Sony) is getting a cut. Tencent is the biggest investor in games, with thousands of tendrils across the industry — if you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.
On a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently. Devolver started buying studios in 2020, and it now owns Croteam, Dodge Roll, Doinksoft, Firefly Studios, Nerial and System Era Softworks. Annapurna Interactive bought South African studio 24 Bit Games in November.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
It also runs multiple internal development companies, including the Level Infinite and Tencent Games publishing labels.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Sure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger. This investment alone means any time you buy a game built on Epic’s Unreal Engine, Tencent (and Sony) is getting a cut. Tencent is the biggest investor in games, with thousands of tendrils across the industry — if you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.
On a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently. Devolver started buying studios in 2020, and it now owns Croteam, Dodge Roll, Doinksoft, Firefly Studios, Nerial and System Era Softworks. Annapurna Interactive bought South African studio 24 Bit Games in November. Netflix launched its Games division in 2021, and it’s already purchased four studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School and Alphabear company Spry Fox.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Sure, Sony has a stake in Epic, but Tencent’s is bigger. This investment alone means any time you buy a game built on Epic’s Unreal Engine, Tencent (and Sony) is getting a cut. Tencent is the biggest investor in games, with thousands of tendrils across the industry — if you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.
On a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently. Devolver started buying studios in 2020, and it now owns Croteam, Dodge Roll, Doinksoft, Firefly Studios, Nerial and System Era Softworks. Annapurna Interactive bought South African studio 24 Bit Games in November. Netflix launched its Games division in 2021, and it’s already purchased four studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School and Alphabear company Spry Fox.
Night School co-founder Sean Krankel told Engadget in June that the move to Netflix was a boon for the studio, providing financial security, a dedicated working space and plenty of marketing support for its projects.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Tencent is the biggest investor in games, with thousands of tendrils across the industry — if you played something this year, Tencent was probably involved.
On a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently. Devolver started buying studios in 2020, and it now owns Croteam, Dodge Roll, Doinksoft, Firefly Studios, Nerial and System Era Softworks. Annapurna Interactive bought South African studio 24 Bit Games in November. Netflix launched its Games division in 2021, and it’s already purchased four studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School and Alphabear company Spry Fox.
Night School co-founder Sean Krankel told Engadget in June that the move to Netflix was a boon for the studio, providing financial security, a dedicated working space and plenty of marketing support for its projects.
“A small subset of teams are good to go for the next 10 years, but others have these peaks and valleys, and we were somewhere in between,” Krankel said.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
On a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently. Devolver started buying studios in 2020, and it now owns Croteam, Dodge Roll, Doinksoft, Firefly Studios, Nerial and System Era Softworks. Annapurna Interactive bought South African studio 24 Bit Games in November. Netflix launched its Games division in 2021, and it’s already purchased four studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School and Alphabear company Spry Fox.
Night School co-founder Sean Krankel told Engadget in June that the move to Netflix was a boon for the studio, providing financial security, a dedicated working space and plenty of marketing support for its projects.
“A small subset of teams are good to go for the next 10 years, but others have these peaks and valleys, and we were somewhere in between,” Krankel said. “We weren't in danger of anything going sideways.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
On a smaller scale, companies like Netflix and Devolver Digital have also dabbled in acquisitions recently. Devolver started buying studios in 2020, and it now owns Croteam, Dodge Roll, Doinksoft, Firefly Studios, Nerial and System Era Softworks. Annapurna Interactive bought South African studio 24 Bit Games in November. Netflix launched its Games division in 2021, and it’s already purchased four studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School and Alphabear company Spry Fox.
Night School co-founder Sean Krankel told Engadget in June that the move to Netflix was a boon for the studio, providing financial security, a dedicated working space and plenty of marketing support for its projects.
“A small subset of teams are good to go for the next 10 years, but others have these peaks and valleys, and we were somewhere in between,” Krankel said. “We weren't in danger of anything going sideways. But we were at a spot where we're like, it would be cool to tether to somebody who has a similar vision, and somebody that we could work with that would like, de-risk us.”
Netflix
This is the short-term benefit of being bought by a larger company, but there are downsides to relinquishing independence.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Netflix launched its Games division in 2021, and it’s already purchased four studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School and Alphabear company Spry Fox.
Night School co-founder Sean Krankel told Engadget in June that the move to Netflix was a boon for the studio, providing financial security, a dedicated working space and plenty of marketing support for its projects.
“A small subset of teams are good to go for the next 10 years, but others have these peaks and valleys, and we were somewhere in between,” Krankel said. “We weren't in danger of anything going sideways. But we were at a spot where we're like, it would be cool to tether to somebody who has a similar vision, and somebody that we could work with that would like, de-risk us.”
Netflix
This is the short-term benefit of being bought by a larger company, but there are downsides to relinquishing independence. Having a corporate overseer can result in rigid production timelines, hindering a studio’s ability to pivot, and despite all of the promises otherwise, developers may be forced to adhere to a specific tone, vibe or game-development structure.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
“A small subset of teams are good to go for the next 10 years, but others have these peaks and valleys, and we were somewhere in between,” Krankel said. “We weren't in danger of anything going sideways. But we were at a spot where we're like, it would be cool to tether to somebody who has a similar vision, and somebody that we could work with that would like, de-risk us.”
Netflix
This is the short-term benefit of being bought by a larger company, but there are downsides to relinquishing independence. Having a corporate overseer can result in rigid production timelines, hindering a studio’s ability to pivot, and despite all of the promises otherwise, developers may be forced to adhere to a specific tone, vibe or game-development structure. Owned studios are held accountable by people outside of the actual development of a game, and the bigger the company, the further away its bosses are from the creative process.
The most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
“We weren't in danger of anything going sideways. But we were at a spot where we're like, it would be cool to tether to somebody who has a similar vision, and somebody that we could work with that would like, de-risk us.”
Netflix
This is the short-term benefit of being bought by a larger company, but there are downsides to relinquishing independence. Having a corporate overseer can result in rigid production timelines, hindering a studio’s ability to pivot, and despite all of the promises otherwise, developers may be forced to adhere to a specific tone, vibe or game-development structure. Owned studios are held accountable by people outside of the actual development of a game, and the bigger the company, the further away its bosses are from the creative process.
The most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures. We saw a lot of these in 2023.
Layoffs
The post-acquisition power dynamic is playing out in public and in real-time.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
But we were at a spot where we're like, it would be cool to tether to somebody who has a similar vision, and somebody that we could work with that would like, de-risk us.”
Netflix
This is the short-term benefit of being bought by a larger company, but there are downsides to relinquishing independence. Having a corporate overseer can result in rigid production timelines, hindering a studio’s ability to pivot, and despite all of the promises otherwise, developers may be forced to adhere to a specific tone, vibe or game-development structure. Owned studios are held accountable by people outside of the actual development of a game, and the bigger the company, the further away its bosses are from the creative process.
The most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures. We saw a lot of these in 2023.
Layoffs
The post-acquisition power dynamic is playing out in public and in real-time. It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes.
|
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Having a corporate overseer can result in rigid production timelines, hindering a studio’s ability to pivot, and despite all of the promises otherwise, developers may be forced to adhere to a specific tone, vibe or game-development structure. Owned studios are held accountable by people outside of the actual development of a game, and the bigger the company, the further away its bosses are from the creative process.
The most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures. We saw a lot of these in 2023.
Layoffs
The post-acquisition power dynamic is playing out in public and in real-time. It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes. This is a crisis amount of cuts. In 2022, just 1,000 video game jobs were lost, according to layoffstracker.com.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Having a corporate overseer can result in rigid production timelines, hindering a studio’s ability to pivot, and despite all of the promises otherwise, developers may be forced to adhere to a specific tone, vibe or game-development structure. Owned studios are held accountable by people outside of the actual development of a game, and the bigger the company, the further away its bosses are from the creative process.
The most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures. We saw a lot of these in 2023.
Layoffs
The post-acquisition power dynamic is playing out in public and in real-time. It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes. This is a crisis amount of cuts. In 2022, just 1,000 video game jobs were lost, according to layoffstracker.com.
The Embracer Group provides the clearest example of rampant, surprise layoffs in 2023.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Owned studios are held accountable by people outside of the actual development of a game, and the bigger the company, the further away its bosses are from the creative process.
The most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures. We saw a lot of these in 2023.
Layoffs
The post-acquisition power dynamic is playing out in public and in real-time. It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes. This is a crisis amount of cuts. In 2022, just 1,000 video game jobs were lost, according to layoffstracker.com.
The Embracer Group provides the clearest example of rampant, surprise layoffs in 2023. Embracer has spent the past few years acquiring prominent midsize studios, including Gearbox Software (Borderlands), Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), Eidos-Montreal (Deus Ex) and Square Enix Montreal (Deus Ex Go).
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
The most extreme negative outcomes for an acquired indie studio are, of course, layoffs and closures. We saw a lot of these in 2023.
Layoffs
The post-acquisition power dynamic is playing out in public and in real-time. It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes. This is a crisis amount of cuts. In 2022, just 1,000 video game jobs were lost, according to layoffstracker.com.
The Embracer Group provides the clearest example of rampant, surprise layoffs in 2023. Embracer has spent the past few years acquiring prominent midsize studios, including Gearbox Software (Borderlands), Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), Eidos-Montreal (Deus Ex) and Square Enix Montreal (Deus Ex Go). In the past decade, Embracer grew its portfolio to cover more than 100 game studios, including Volition (Saints Row), Coffee Stain (Goat Simulator), Free Radical Design (TimeSplitters) and Zen Studios (Pinball FX).
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
It’s estimated that more than 9,000 people in video games were laid off this year and the firings affected teams of all sizes. This is a crisis amount of cuts. In 2022, just 1,000 video game jobs were lost, according to layoffstracker.com.
The Embracer Group provides the clearest example of rampant, surprise layoffs in 2023. Embracer has spent the past few years acquiring prominent midsize studios, including Gearbox Software (Borderlands), Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), Eidos-Montreal (Deus Ex) and Square Enix Montreal (Deus Ex Go). In the past decade, Embracer grew its portfolio to cover more than 100 game studios, including Volition (Saints Row), Coffee Stain (Goat Simulator), Free Radical Design (TimeSplitters) and Zen Studios (Pinball FX). The holding company also secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings in 2022, promising to turn it into “one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.”
Volition
In June 2023, Embracer announced a six-year, $2 billion funding deal had fallen through, and it was going to restructure — meaning, layoffs and studio closures.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Embracer has spent the past few years acquiring prominent midsize studios, including Gearbox Software (Borderlands), Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider), Eidos-Montreal (Deus Ex) and Square Enix Montreal (Deus Ex Go). In the past decade, Embracer grew its portfolio to cover more than 100 game studios, including Volition (Saints Row), Coffee Stain (Goat Simulator), Free Radical Design (TimeSplitters) and Zen Studios (Pinball FX). The holding company also secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings in 2022, promising to turn it into “one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.”
Volition
In June 2023, Embracer announced a six-year, $2 billion funding deal had fallen through, and it was going to restructure — meaning, layoffs and studio closures. Since this announcement, Embracer has shut down Volition, Free Radical Design and Campfire Cabal, it divested Goose Byte and it’s fired developers at Saber Interactive.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
In the past decade, Embracer grew its portfolio to cover more than 100 game studios, including Volition (Saints Row), Coffee Stain (Goat Simulator), Free Radical Design (TimeSplitters) and Zen Studios (Pinball FX). The holding company also secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings in 2022, promising to turn it into “one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.”
Volition
In June 2023, Embracer announced a six-year, $2 billion funding deal had fallen through, and it was going to restructure — meaning, layoffs and studio closures. Since this announcement, Embracer has shut down Volition, Free Radical Design and Campfire Cabal, it divested Goose Byte and it’s fired developers at Saber Interactive. More than 900 people lost their jobs during these moves. Meanwhile, Embracer’s share price rose by 11 points in November.
This wasn’t the only layoff round of the year.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
The holding company also secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings in 2022, promising to turn it into “one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.”
Volition
In June 2023, Embracer announced a six-year, $2 billion funding deal had fallen through, and it was going to restructure — meaning, layoffs and studio closures. Since this announcement, Embracer has shut down Volition, Free Radical Design and Campfire Cabal, it divested Goose Byte and it’s fired developers at Saber Interactive. More than 900 people lost their jobs during these moves. Meanwhile, Embracer’s share price rose by 11 points in November.
This wasn’t the only layoff round of the year. Unity lowered its headcount three times in 2023, affecting about 900 jobs.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
The holding company also secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings in 2022, promising to turn it into “one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world.”
Volition
In June 2023, Embracer announced a six-year, $2 billion funding deal had fallen through, and it was going to restructure — meaning, layoffs and studio closures. Since this announcement, Embracer has shut down Volition, Free Radical Design and Campfire Cabal, it divested Goose Byte and it’s fired developers at Saber Interactive. More than 900 people lost their jobs during these moves. Meanwhile, Embracer’s share price rose by 11 points in November.
This wasn’t the only layoff round of the year. Unity lowered its headcount three times in 2023, affecting about 900 jobs. In its quarterly financial results in November, Unity reported a yearly revenue increase of 69 percent and it told investors, “We continued to manage costs well.”
Sony cut 100 jobs at Bungie, a company it bought for $3.6 billion in 2022.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Since this announcement, Embracer has shut down Volition, Free Radical Design and Campfire Cabal, it divested Goose Byte and it’s fired developers at Saber Interactive. More than 900 people lost their jobs during these moves. Meanwhile, Embracer’s share price rose by 11 points in November.
This wasn’t the only layoff round of the year. Unity lowered its headcount three times in 2023, affecting about 900 jobs. In its quarterly financial results in November, Unity reported a yearly revenue increase of 69 percent and it told investors, “We continued to manage costs well.”
Sony cut 100 jobs at Bungie, a company it bought for $3.6 billion in 2022. According to developers that are still there, Sony executives are attempting to use this upheaval to wrest more control of the studio from Bungie founders and leaders.
Epic Games fired roughly 830 people this year, or 16 percent of its staff.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
More than 900 people lost their jobs during these moves. Meanwhile, Embracer’s share price rose by 11 points in November.
This wasn’t the only layoff round of the year. Unity lowered its headcount three times in 2023, affecting about 900 jobs. In its quarterly financial results in November, Unity reported a yearly revenue increase of 69 percent and it told investors, “We continued to manage costs well.”
Sony cut 100 jobs at Bungie, a company it bought for $3.6 billion in 2022. According to developers that are still there, Sony executives are attempting to use this upheaval to wrest more control of the studio from Bungie founders and leaders.
Epic Games fired roughly 830 people this year, or 16 percent of its staff. This included significant job cuts at Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys that Epic purchased in 2021.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
More than 900 people lost their jobs during these moves. Meanwhile, Embracer’s share price rose by 11 points in November.
This wasn’t the only layoff round of the year. Unity lowered its headcount three times in 2023, affecting about 900 jobs. In its quarterly financial results in November, Unity reported a yearly revenue increase of 69 percent and it told investors, “We continued to manage costs well.”
Sony cut 100 jobs at Bungie, a company it bought for $3.6 billion in 2022. According to developers that are still there, Sony executives are attempting to use this upheaval to wrest more control of the studio from Bungie founders and leaders.
Epic Games fired roughly 830 people this year, or 16 percent of its staff. This included significant job cuts at Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys that Epic purchased in 2021.
Mediatonic
“For a while now, we've been spending way more money than we earn,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote about the layoffs.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
This wasn’t the only layoff round of the year. Unity lowered its headcount three times in 2023, affecting about 900 jobs. In its quarterly financial results in November, Unity reported a yearly revenue increase of 69 percent and it told investors, “We continued to manage costs well.”
Sony cut 100 jobs at Bungie, a company it bought for $3.6 billion in 2022. According to developers that are still there, Sony executives are attempting to use this upheaval to wrest more control of the studio from Bungie founders and leaders.
Epic Games fired roughly 830 people this year, or 16 percent of its staff. This included significant job cuts at Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys that Epic purchased in 2021.
Mediatonic
“For a while now, we've been spending way more money than we earn,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote about the layoffs. He continued, “I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect I see that this was unrealistic.”
Electronic Arts was one of the first video game companies to institute significant layoffs this year, with a reduction of 6 percent of its workforce, or about 800 employees, in March.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
According to developers that are still there, Sony executives are attempting to use this upheaval to wrest more control of the studio from Bungie founders and leaders.
Epic Games fired roughly 830 people this year, or 16 percent of its staff. This included significant job cuts at Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys that Epic purchased in 2021.
Mediatonic
“For a while now, we've been spending way more money than we earn,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote about the layoffs. He continued, “I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect I see that this was unrealistic.”
Electronic Arts was one of the first video game companies to institute significant layoffs this year, with a reduction of 6 percent of its workforce, or about 800 employees, in March. EA later cut jobs at Dirt and F1 studio Codemasters, which it purchased in 2021 for $1.2 billion.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Epic Games fired roughly 830 people this year, or 16 percent of its staff. This included significant job cuts at Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys that Epic purchased in 2021.
Mediatonic
“For a while now, we've been spending way more money than we earn,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote about the layoffs. He continued, “I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect I see that this was unrealistic.”
Electronic Arts was one of the first video game companies to institute significant layoffs this year, with a reduction of 6 percent of its workforce, or about 800 employees, in March. EA later cut jobs at Dirt and F1 studio Codemasters, which it purchased in 2021 for $1.2 billion. EA culled an estimated 1,130 jobs in 2023.
CD Projekt RED and Sega each laid off about 100 people in the past 12 months, while Ubisoft fired an estimated 255 employees.
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
This included significant job cuts at Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys that Epic purchased in 2021.
Mediatonic
“For a while now, we've been spending way more money than we earn,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote about the layoffs. He continued, “I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect I see that this was unrealistic.”
Electronic Arts was one of the first video game companies to institute significant layoffs this year, with a reduction of 6 percent of its workforce, or about 800 employees, in March. EA later cut jobs at Dirt and F1 studio Codemasters, which it purchased in 2021 for $1.2 billion. EA culled an estimated 1,130 jobs in 2023.
CD Projekt RED and Sega each laid off about 100 people in the past 12 months, while Ubisoft fired an estimated 255 employees. Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs across its businesses early in the year, and that included about 100 people at Halo studio 343 industries.
|
3533
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Mediatonic
“For a while now, we've been spending way more money than we earn,” CEO Tim Sweeney wrote about the layoffs. He continued, “I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect I see that this was unrealistic.”
Electronic Arts was one of the first video game companies to institute significant layoffs this year, with a reduction of 6 percent of its workforce, or about 800 employees, in March. EA later cut jobs at Dirt and F1 studio Codemasters, which it purchased in 2021 for $1.2 billion. EA culled an estimated 1,130 jobs in 2023.
CD Projekt RED and Sega each laid off about 100 people in the past 12 months, while Ubisoft fired an estimated 255 employees. Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs across its businesses early in the year, and that included about 100 people at Halo studio 343 industries.
343 industries
These are just some of the biggest names in layoffs in 2023.
|
3534
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
He continued, “I had long been optimistic that we could power through this transition without layoffs, but in retrospect I see that this was unrealistic.”
Electronic Arts was one of the first video game companies to institute significant layoffs this year, with a reduction of 6 percent of its workforce, or about 800 employees, in March. EA later cut jobs at Dirt and F1 studio Codemasters, which it purchased in 2021 for $1.2 billion. EA culled an estimated 1,130 jobs in 2023.
CD Projekt RED and Sega each laid off about 100 people in the past 12 months, while Ubisoft fired an estimated 255 employees. Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs across its businesses early in the year, and that included about 100 people at Halo studio 343 industries.
343 industries
These are just some of the biggest names in layoffs in 2023. Looking back on the carnage, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more game studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures.
|
3535
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
EA later cut jobs at Dirt and F1 studio Codemasters, which it purchased in 2021 for $1.2 billion. EA culled an estimated 1,130 jobs in 2023.
CD Projekt RED and Sega each laid off about 100 people in the past 12 months, while Ubisoft fired an estimated 255 employees. Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs across its businesses early in the year, and that included about 100 people at Halo studio 343 industries.
343 industries
These are just some of the biggest names in layoffs in 2023. Looking back on the carnage, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more game studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures. We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic, as accountants, investors and shareholders push for low-risk concepts, rather than innovation and change.
|
3536
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
EA culled an estimated 1,130 jobs in 2023.
CD Projekt RED and Sega each laid off about 100 people in the past 12 months, while Ubisoft fired an estimated 255 employees. Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs across its businesses early in the year, and that included about 100 people at Halo studio 343 industries.
343 industries
These are just some of the biggest names in layoffs in 2023. Looking back on the carnage, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more game studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures. We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic, as accountants, investors and shareholders push for low-risk concepts, rather than innovation and change.
What will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time?
|
3537
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
EA culled an estimated 1,130 jobs in 2023.
CD Projekt RED and Sega each laid off about 100 people in the past 12 months, while Ubisoft fired an estimated 255 employees. Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs across its businesses early in the year, and that included about 100 people at Halo studio 343 industries.
343 industries
These are just some of the biggest names in layoffs in 2023. Looking back on the carnage, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more game studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures. We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic, as accountants, investors and shareholders push for low-risk concepts, rather than innovation and change.
What will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time? What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again?
|
3538
|
Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs across its businesses early in the year, and that included about 100 people at Halo studio 343 industries.
343 industries
These are just some of the biggest names in layoffs in 2023. Looking back on the carnage, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more game studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures. We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic, as accountants, investors and shareholders push for low-risk concepts, rather than innovation and change.
What will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time? What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again? Remember that many of the shuttered studios listed above were purchased within the past three years.
|
3539
|
Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
343 industries
These are just some of the biggest names in layoffs in 2023. Looking back on the carnage, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more game studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures. We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic, as accountants, investors and shareholders push for low-risk concepts, rather than innovation and change.
What will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time? What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again? Remember that many of the shuttered studios listed above were purchased within the past three years.
Being acquired is a cost-benefit analysis for smaller studios, where the benefits are immediate and the costs are potential. It’s easy to say that won’t happen to us.
|
3540
|
Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Looking back on the carnage, it feels like a warning — as consolidation efforts increase, more game studios will be controlled by just a handful of companies, and they’ll be vulnerable to moves like mass layoffs and closures. We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic, as accountants, investors and shareholders push for low-risk concepts, rather than innovation and change.
What will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time? What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again? Remember that many of the shuttered studios listed above were purchased within the past three years.
Being acquired is a cost-benefit analysis for smaller studios, where the benefits are immediate and the costs are potential. It’s easy to say that won’t happen to us. But it can happen, and it does, and as consolidation increases, bulk layoffs are only going to occur more often.
|
3541
|
Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
We’re laying the foundation for the future of video games right now, and consolidation only makes the industry smaller and more generic, as accountants, investors and shareholders push for low-risk concepts, rather than innovation and change.
What will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time? What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again? Remember that many of the shuttered studios listed above were purchased within the past three years.
Being acquired is a cost-benefit analysis for smaller studios, where the benefits are immediate and the costs are potential. It’s easy to say that won’t happen to us. But it can happen, and it does, and as consolidation increases, bulk layoffs are only going to occur more often.
Unions
Unionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023.
|
3542
|
Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
What will rampant consolidation mean for all of these acquired studios in five years’ time? What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again? Remember that many of the shuttered studios listed above were purchased within the past three years.
Being acquired is a cost-benefit analysis for smaller studios, where the benefits are immediate and the costs are potential. It’s easy to say that won’t happen to us. But it can happen, and it does, and as consolidation increases, bulk layoffs are only going to occur more often.
Unions
Unionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023. Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses.
Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media.
|
3543
|
Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
What will it mean when these teams aren’t shiny, new investments any longer, and the people at the top are ready to get lean again? Remember that many of the shuttered studios listed above were purchased within the past three years.
Being acquired is a cost-benefit analysis for smaller studios, where the benefits are immediate and the costs are potential. It’s easy to say that won’t happen to us. But it can happen, and it does, and as consolidation increases, bulk layoffs are only going to occur more often.
Unions
Unionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023. Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses.
Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane, and Microsoft purchased the whole caboodle for $7.5 billion in 2021.
|
3544
|
Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Remember that many of the shuttered studios listed above were purchased within the past three years.
Being acquired is a cost-benefit analysis for smaller studios, where the benefits are immediate and the costs are potential. It’s easy to say that won’t happen to us. But it can happen, and it does, and as consolidation increases, bulk layoffs are only going to occur more often.
Unions
Unionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023. Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses.
Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane, and Microsoft purchased the whole caboodle for $7.5 billion in 2021. Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April.
|
3545
|
Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Being acquired is a cost-benefit analysis for smaller studios, where the benefits are immediate and the costs are potential. It’s easy to say that won’t happen to us. But it can happen, and it does, and as consolidation increases, bulk layoffs are only going to occur more often.
Unions
Unionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023. Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses.
Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane, and Microsoft purchased the whole caboodle for $7.5 billion in 2021. Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April. In December, Microsoft announced it would hire 77 contract workers as full-time employees under the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union.
|
3546
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
But it can happen, and it does, and as consolidation increases, bulk layoffs are only going to occur more often.
Unions
Unionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023. Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses.
Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane, and Microsoft purchased the whole caboodle for $7.5 billion in 2021. Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April. In December, Microsoft announced it would hire 77 contract workers as full-time employees under the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union. The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.
|
3547
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Unions
Unionization is one approach that can help protect the livelihoods of people in the video game industry, and there was progress on this front in 2023. Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses.
Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane, and Microsoft purchased the whole caboodle for $7.5 billion in 2021. Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April. In December, Microsoft announced it would hire 77 contract workers as full-time employees under the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union. The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.
Bethesda Softworks
“We are now stronger at the bargaining table and are working to secure a fair contract for all workers — direct employees and contractors," ZeniMax union member Chris Lusco said.
|
3548
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Developers at multiple studios now have union support, from small indies to AAA powerhouses.
Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane, and Microsoft purchased the whole caboodle for $7.5 billion in 2021. Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April. In December, Microsoft announced it would hire 77 contract workers as full-time employees under the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union. The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.
Bethesda Softworks
“We are now stronger at the bargaining table and are working to secure a fair contract for all workers — direct employees and contractors," ZeniMax union member Chris Lusco said. "We are all a part of ZeniMax Studio’s success and we all deserve our fair share.
|
3549
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Microsoft is currently the home of the industry’s largest union, with representation for more than 300 quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Media. ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda, id Software and Arkane, and Microsoft purchased the whole caboodle for $7.5 billion in 2021. Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April. In December, Microsoft announced it would hire 77 contract workers as full-time employees under the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union. The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.
Bethesda Softworks
“We are now stronger at the bargaining table and are working to secure a fair contract for all workers — direct employees and contractors," ZeniMax union member Chris Lusco said. "We are all a part of ZeniMax Studio’s success and we all deserve our fair share. We hope to set a new precedent for workers across Microsoft and the entire gaming industry so that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are able to improve their working conditions through collective bargaining."
|
3550
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April. In December, Microsoft announced it would hire 77 contract workers as full-time employees under the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union. The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.
Bethesda Softworks
“We are now stronger at the bargaining table and are working to secure a fair contract for all workers — direct employees and contractors," ZeniMax union member Chris Lusco said. "We are all a part of ZeniMax Studio’s success and we all deserve our fair share. We hope to set a new precedent for workers across Microsoft and the entire gaming industry so that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are able to improve their working conditions through collective bargaining."
Meanwhile, executives at Microsoft’s newest acquisition, Activision Blizzard, spent the past few years stalling internal unionization efforts.
|
3551
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
Microsoft formally recognized the ZeniMax union this January and the parties started negotiating in April. In December, Microsoft announced it would hire 77 contract workers as full-time employees under the ZeniMax Workers United-CWA union. The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.
Bethesda Softworks
“We are now stronger at the bargaining table and are working to secure a fair contract for all workers — direct employees and contractors," ZeniMax union member Chris Lusco said. "We are all a part of ZeniMax Studio’s success and we all deserve our fair share. We hope to set a new precedent for workers across Microsoft and the entire gaming industry so that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are able to improve their working conditions through collective bargaining."
Meanwhile, executives at Microsoft’s newest acquisition, Activision Blizzard, spent the past few years stalling internal unionization efforts. However, QA employees at Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision, successfully voted to unionize in May 2022.
|
3552
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.
Bethesda Softworks
“We are now stronger at the bargaining table and are working to secure a fair contract for all workers — direct employees and contractors," ZeniMax union member Chris Lusco said. "We are all a part of ZeniMax Studio’s success and we all deserve our fair share. We hope to set a new precedent for workers across Microsoft and the entire gaming industry so that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are able to improve their working conditions through collective bargaining."
Meanwhile, executives at Microsoft’s newest acquisition, Activision Blizzard, spent the past few years stalling internal unionization efforts. However, QA employees at Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision, successfully voted to unionize in May 2022. Microsoft has vowed to respect organization attempts now that Activision-Blizzard-King is under its control.
|
3553
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Video games in 2023: Acquisitions, layoffs, unions
The deal guaranteed a pay raise, paid holidays and sick leave, and a copy of Starfield, the game they helped ship.
Bethesda Softworks
“We are now stronger at the bargaining table and are working to secure a fair contract for all workers — direct employees and contractors," ZeniMax union member Chris Lusco said. "We are all a part of ZeniMax Studio’s success and we all deserve our fair share. We hope to set a new precedent for workers across Microsoft and the entire gaming industry so that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are able to improve their working conditions through collective bargaining."
Meanwhile, executives at Microsoft’s newest acquisition, Activision Blizzard, spent the past few years stalling internal unionization efforts. However, QA employees at Raven Software, a subsidiary of Activision, successfully voted to unionize in May 2022. Microsoft has vowed to respect organization attempts now that Activision-Blizzard-King is under its control.
Other companies with unions established in the past two years include Avalanche Studios, Anemone Hug, CD Projekt RED, Experis Game Solutions, Keywords Studios, Sega of America, Tender Claws and Workinman Interactive.
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3554
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
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In her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears is expected to reflect on some of the most pivotal moments in her life, including her relationships.
Over the years, the pop star’s love life has continued to make headlines. Most recently, her ex-husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce after only 14 months of marriage.
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3555
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
In her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears is expected to reflect on some of the most pivotal moments in her life, including her relationships.
Over the years, the pop star’s love life has continued to make headlines. Most recently, her ex-husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce after only 14 months of marriage. Spears is also the mother of two children – Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17 – who she shares with her second ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
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3556
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
In her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears is expected to reflect on some of the most pivotal moments in her life, including her relationships.
Over the years, the pop star’s love life has continued to make headlines. Most recently, her ex-husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce after only 14 months of marriage. Spears is also the mother of two children – Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17 – who she shares with her second ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
According to a press release for The Woman in Me, Spears’ memoir is “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope”.
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3557
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the
Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
In her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears is expected to reflect on some of the most pivotal moments in her life, including her relationships.
Over the years, the pop star’s love life has continued to make headlines. Most recently, her ex-husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce after only 14 months of marriage. Spears is also the mother of two children – Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17 – who she shares with her second ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
According to a press release for The Woman in Me, Spears’ memoir is “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope”. Spears’ book is also expected to cover the high-profile legal battle to end her conservatorship, which was dissolved in November 2021 after 13 years.
|
3558
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}
In her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears is expected to reflect on some of the most pivotal moments in her life, including her relationships.
Over the years, the pop star’s love life has continued to make headlines. Most recently, her ex-husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce after only 14 months of marriage. Spears is also the mother of two children – Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17 – who she shares with her second ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
According to a press release for The Woman in Me, Spears’ memoir is “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope”. Spears’ book is also expected to cover the high-profile legal battle to end her conservatorship, which was dissolved in November 2021 after 13 years.
Throughout her time in the spotlight, specifically during the ‘90s and 2000s, Spears has been in some heavily publicised romances.
|
3559
|
From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Over the years, the pop star’s love life has continued to make headlines. Most recently, her ex-husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce after only 14 months of marriage. Spears is also the mother of two children – Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17 – who she shares with her second ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
According to a press release for The Woman in Me, Spears’ memoir is “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope”. Spears’ book is also expected to cover the high-profile legal battle to end her conservatorship, which was dissolved in November 2021 after 13 years.
Throughout her time in the spotlight, specifically during the ‘90s and 2000s, Spears has been in some heavily publicised romances. Unsurprisingly, fans are anticipating that Spears will detail some of her relationships in The Woman in Me, which is set for release on 24 October.
|
3560
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Most recently, her ex-husband Sam Asghari filed for divorce after only 14 months of marriage. Spears is also the mother of two children – Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17 – who she shares with her second ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
According to a press release for The Woman in Me, Spears’ memoir is “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope”. Spears’ book is also expected to cover the high-profile legal battle to end her conservatorship, which was dissolved in November 2021 after 13 years.
Throughout her time in the spotlight, specifically during the ‘90s and 2000s, Spears has been in some heavily publicised romances. Unsurprisingly, fans are anticipating that Spears will detail some of her relationships in The Woman in Me, which is set for release on 24 October.
From Justin Timberlake to her now ex-husband Sam Asghari, here’s everything we know about Britney Spears’ relationships and rumoured romances.
|
3561
|
From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
According to a press release for The Woman in Me, Spears’ memoir is “a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope”. Spears’ book is also expected to cover the high-profile legal battle to end her conservatorship, which was dissolved in November 2021 after 13 years.
Throughout her time in the spotlight, specifically during the ‘90s and 2000s, Spears has been in some heavily publicised romances. Unsurprisingly, fans are anticipating that Spears will detail some of her relationships in The Woman in Me, which is set for release on 24 October.
From Justin Timberlake to her now ex-husband Sam Asghari, here’s everything we know about Britney Spears’ relationships and rumoured romances.
Justin Timberlake: 1998 to 2002
(Getty Images)
Spears’ first highly public relationship was with her co-star in the Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake.
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3562
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Spears’ book is also expected to cover the high-profile legal battle to end her conservatorship, which was dissolved in November 2021 after 13 years.
Throughout her time in the spotlight, specifically during the ‘90s and 2000s, Spears has been in some heavily publicised romances. Unsurprisingly, fans are anticipating that Spears will detail some of her relationships in The Woman in Me, which is set for release on 24 October.
From Justin Timberlake to her now ex-husband Sam Asghari, here’s everything we know about Britney Spears’ relationships and rumoured romances.
Justin Timberlake: 1998 to 2002
(Getty Images)
Spears’ first highly public relationship was with her co-star in the Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake. The pair made many appearances together while dating, including the iconic moment Spears and Timberlake wore matching, all-denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001.
|
3563
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Throughout her time in the spotlight, specifically during the ‘90s and 2000s, Spears has been in some heavily publicised romances. Unsurprisingly, fans are anticipating that Spears will detail some of her relationships in The Woman in Me, which is set for release on 24 October.
From Justin Timberlake to her now ex-husband Sam Asghari, here’s everything we know about Britney Spears’ relationships and rumoured romances.
Justin Timberlake: 1998 to 2002
(Getty Images)
Spears’ first highly public relationship was with her co-star in the Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake. The pair made many appearances together while dating, including the iconic moment Spears and Timberlake wore matching, all-denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001.
They broke up in 2002, shortly after Timberlake and his boy band NSYNC released their hit tune, “Cry Me a River”.
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3564
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Throughout her time in the spotlight, specifically during the ‘90s and 2000s, Spears has been in some heavily publicised romances. Unsurprisingly, fans are anticipating that Spears will detail some of her relationships in The Woman in Me, which is set for release on 24 October.
From Justin Timberlake to her now ex-husband Sam Asghari, here’s everything we know about Britney Spears’ relationships and rumoured romances.
Justin Timberlake: 1998 to 2002
(Getty Images)
Spears’ first highly public relationship was with her co-star in the Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake. The pair made many appearances together while dating, including the iconic moment Spears and Timberlake wore matching, all-denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001.
They broke up in 2002, shortly after Timberlake and his boy band NSYNC released their hit tune, “Cry Me a River”. At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
From Justin Timberlake to her now ex-husband Sam Asghari, here’s everything we know about Britney Spears’ relationships and rumoured romances.
Justin Timberlake: 1998 to 2002
(Getty Images)
Spears’ first highly public relationship was with her co-star in the Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake. The pair made many appearances together while dating, including the iconic moment Spears and Timberlake wore matching, all-denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001.
They broke up in 2002, shortly after Timberlake and his boy band NSYNC released their hit tune, “Cry Me a River”. At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.
Although the former couple never acknowledged the breakup rumours, the 2021 Framing Britney documentary addressed some of the public scrutiny that Spears faced during the 2000s.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Justin Timberlake: 1998 to 2002
(Getty Images)
Spears’ first highly public relationship was with her co-star in the Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake. The pair made many appearances together while dating, including the iconic moment Spears and Timberlake wore matching, all-denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001.
They broke up in 2002, shortly after Timberlake and his boy band NSYNC released their hit tune, “Cry Me a River”. At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.
Although the former couple never acknowledged the breakup rumours, the 2021 Framing Britney documentary addressed some of the public scrutiny that Spears faced during the 2000s. Following the documentary’s release, Timberlake came under criticism for the way he acted following his breakup with Spears.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Justin Timberlake: 1998 to 2002
(Getty Images)
Spears’ first highly public relationship was with her co-star in the Mickey Mouse Club, Justin Timberlake. The pair made many appearances together while dating, including the iconic moment Spears and Timberlake wore matching, all-denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001.
They broke up in 2002, shortly after Timberlake and his boy band NSYNC released their hit tune, “Cry Me a River”. At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.
Although the former couple never acknowledged the breakup rumours, the 2021 Framing Britney documentary addressed some of the public scrutiny that Spears faced during the 2000s. Following the documentary’s release, Timberlake came under criticism for the way he acted following his breakup with Spears.
He later issued an apology to Spears on Instagram, writing: “I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
The pair made many appearances together while dating, including the iconic moment Spears and Timberlake wore matching, all-denim outfits to the American Music Awards in 2001.
They broke up in 2002, shortly after Timberlake and his boy band NSYNC released their hit tune, “Cry Me a River”. At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.
Although the former couple never acknowledged the breakup rumours, the 2021 Framing Britney documentary addressed some of the public scrutiny that Spears faced during the 2000s. Following the documentary’s release, Timberlake came under criticism for the way he acted following his breakup with Spears.
He later issued an apology to Spears on Instagram, writing: “I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
They broke up in 2002, shortly after Timberlake and his boy band NSYNC released their hit tune, “Cry Me a River”. At the time, the music video for the song – which featured a woman with blonde hair - sparked rumours that he and Spears broke up because she allegedly cheated on him.
Although the former couple never acknowledged the breakup rumours, the 2021 Framing Britney documentary addressed some of the public scrutiny that Spears faced during the 2000s. Following the documentary’s release, Timberlake came under criticism for the way he acted following his breakup with Spears.
He later issued an apology to Spears on Instagram, writing: “I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
In June 2021, he also shared his support for Spears after she testified publicly in a bid to end her conservatorship, which was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Although the former couple never acknowledged the breakup rumours, the 2021 Framing Britney documentary addressed some of the public scrutiny that Spears faced during the 2000s. Following the documentary’s release, Timberlake came under criticism for the way he acted following his breakup with Spears.
He later issued an apology to Spears on Instagram, writing: “I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
In June 2021, he also shared his support for Spears after she testified publicly in a bid to end her conservatorship, which was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears. In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Following the documentary’s release, Timberlake came under criticism for the way he acted following his breakup with Spears.
He later issued an apology to Spears on Instagram, writing: “I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
In June 2021, he also shared his support for Spears after she testified publicly in a bid to end her conservatorship, which was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears. In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will. She also claimed that the team managing her conservatorship had prevented her from having another baby by refusing to remove her IUD.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
He later issued an apology to Spears on Instagram, writing: “I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
In June 2021, he also shared his support for Spears after she testified publicly in a bid to end her conservatorship, which was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears. In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will. She also claimed that the team managing her conservatorship had prevented her from having another baby by refusing to remove her IUD.
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
In June 2021, he also shared his support for Spears after she testified publicly in a bid to end her conservatorship, which was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears. In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will. She also claimed that the team managing her conservatorship had prevented her from having another baby by refusing to remove her IUD.
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was,” Timberlake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
In June 2021, he also shared his support for Spears after she testified publicly in a bid to end her conservatorship, which was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears. In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will. She also claimed that the team managing her conservatorship had prevented her from having another baby by refusing to remove her IUD.
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was,” Timberlake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What’s happening to her is just not right.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
In June 2021, he also shared his support for Spears after she testified publicly in a bid to end her conservatorship, which was controlled by her father, Jamie Spears. In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will. She also claimed that the team managing her conservatorship had prevented her from having another baby by refusing to remove her IUD.
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was,” Timberlake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.”
Wade Robson: 2001 to 2002
Shortly after her breakup from Timberlake, Spears was rumoured to be dating Wade Robson, a dancer and choreographer who appeared in the music video for her 2009 tune, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will. She also claimed that the team managing her conservatorship had prevented her from having another baby by refusing to remove her IUD.
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was,” Timberlake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.”
Wade Robson: 2001 to 2002
Shortly after her breakup from Timberlake, Spears was rumoured to be dating Wade Robson, a dancer and choreographer who appeared in the music video for her 2009 tune, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”. However, neither Spears nor Robson confirmed these rumours.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
In a Los Angeles court hearing at the time, Spears alleged that she had been forced to take lithium against her will. She also claimed that the team managing her conservatorship had prevented her from having another baby by refusing to remove her IUD.
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was,” Timberlake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.”
Wade Robson: 2001 to 2002
Shortly after her breakup from Timberlake, Spears was rumoured to be dating Wade Robson, a dancer and choreographer who appeared in the music video for her 2009 tune, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”. However, neither Spears nor Robson confirmed these rumours.
Colin Farrell: 2003
(Getty Images)
Back in 2003, Farrell and Spears made headlines when they were spotted holding hands at the premiere of The Recruit, sparking speculation that they were dating.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was,” Timberlake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.”
Wade Robson: 2001 to 2002
Shortly after her breakup from Timberlake, Spears was rumoured to be dating Wade Robson, a dancer and choreographer who appeared in the music video for her 2009 tune, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”. However, neither Spears nor Robson confirmed these rumours.
Colin Farrell: 2003
(Getty Images)
Back in 2003, Farrell and Spears made headlines when they were spotted holding hands at the premiere of The Recruit, sparking speculation that they were dating. However, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor specified that he and the singer were just friends.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was,” Timberlake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.”
Wade Robson: 2001 to 2002
Shortly after her breakup from Timberlake, Spears was rumoured to be dating Wade Robson, a dancer and choreographer who appeared in the music video for her 2009 tune, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”. However, neither Spears nor Robson confirmed these rumours.
Colin Farrell: 2003
(Getty Images)
Back in 2003, Farrell and Spears made headlines when they were spotted holding hands at the premiere of The Recruit, sparking speculation that they were dating. However, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor specified that he and the singer were just friends.
“She’s just a mate,” Farrell told the outlet, as reported by People in 2003.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
“What’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.”
Wade Robson: 2001 to 2002
Shortly after her breakup from Timberlake, Spears was rumoured to be dating Wade Robson, a dancer and choreographer who appeared in the music video for her 2009 tune, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”. However, neither Spears nor Robson confirmed these rumours.
Colin Farrell: 2003
(Getty Images)
Back in 2003, Farrell and Spears made headlines when they were spotted holding hands at the premiere of The Recruit, sparking speculation that they were dating. However, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor specified that he and the singer were just friends.
“She’s just a mate,” Farrell told the outlet, as reported by People in 2003. “Seriously, we just met a week ago, [we’re] having a laugh.”
Jason Alexander: 2004
Jason Alexander was Spears’ first husband, tying the knot at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas in 2004.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
However, neither Spears nor Robson confirmed these rumours.
Colin Farrell: 2003
(Getty Images)
Back in 2003, Farrell and Spears made headlines when they were spotted holding hands at the premiere of The Recruit, sparking speculation that they were dating. However, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor specified that he and the singer were just friends.
“She’s just a mate,” Farrell told the outlet, as reported by People in 2003. “Seriously, we just met a week ago, [we’re] having a laugh.”
Jason Alexander: 2004
Jason Alexander was Spears’ first husband, tying the knot at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas in 2004. However, only 55 hours after the nuptials, they annulled the marriage.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
However, neither Spears nor Robson confirmed these rumours.
Colin Farrell: 2003
(Getty Images)
Back in 2003, Farrell and Spears made headlines when they were spotted holding hands at the premiere of The Recruit, sparking speculation that they were dating. However, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor specified that he and the singer were just friends.
“She’s just a mate,” Farrell told the outlet, as reported by People in 2003. “Seriously, we just met a week ago, [we’re] having a laugh.”
Jason Alexander: 2004
Jason Alexander was Spears’ first husband, tying the knot at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas in 2004. However, only 55 hours after the nuptials, they annulled the marriage.
In 2022, Alexander made headlines when he tried to attend Spears’ wedding to Asghari, as could be heard saying in a video that he was going to crash the nuptials.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Colin Farrell: 2003
(Getty Images)
Back in 2003, Farrell and Spears made headlines when they were spotted holding hands at the premiere of The Recruit, sparking speculation that they were dating. However, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor specified that he and the singer were just friends.
“She’s just a mate,” Farrell told the outlet, as reported by People in 2003. “Seriously, we just met a week ago, [we’re] having a laugh.”
Jason Alexander: 2004
Jason Alexander was Spears’ first husband, tying the knot at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas in 2004. However, only 55 hours after the nuptials, they annulled the marriage.
In 2022, Alexander made headlines when he tried to attend Spears’ wedding to Asghari, as could be heard saying in a video that he was going to crash the nuptials. “She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
However, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor specified that he and the singer were just friends.
“She’s just a mate,” Farrell told the outlet, as reported by People in 2003. “Seriously, we just met a week ago, [we’re] having a laugh.”
Jason Alexander: 2004
Jason Alexander was Spears’ first husband, tying the knot at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas in 2004. However, only 55 hours after the nuptials, they annulled the marriage.
In 2022, Alexander made headlines when he tried to attend Spears’ wedding to Asghari, as could be heard saying in a video that he was going to crash the nuptials. “She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security. “I’m her first husband, I’m here to crash the wedding.”
After he was arrested for trespassing, vandalism, and battery, a security guard later revealed in court that when Alexander crashed the wedding, he also tried to enter Spears’ bedroom.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
“She’s just a mate,” Farrell told the outlet, as reported by People in 2003. “Seriously, we just met a week ago, [we’re] having a laugh.”
Jason Alexander: 2004
Jason Alexander was Spears’ first husband, tying the knot at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas in 2004. However, only 55 hours after the nuptials, they annulled the marriage.
In 2022, Alexander made headlines when he tried to attend Spears’ wedding to Asghari, as could be heard saying in a video that he was going to crash the nuptials. “She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security. “I’m her first husband, I’m here to crash the wedding.”
After he was arrested for trespassing, vandalism, and battery, a security guard later revealed in court that when Alexander crashed the wedding, he also tried to enter Spears’ bedroom.
Kevin Federline: 2004 to 2007
(Getty Images)
Kevin Federline and the “Gimme More” singer first met at a club in 2004, before they went on to start their relationship.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
However, only 55 hours after the nuptials, they annulled the marriage.
In 2022, Alexander made headlines when he tried to attend Spears’ wedding to Asghari, as could be heard saying in a video that he was going to crash the nuptials. “She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security. “I’m her first husband, I’m here to crash the wedding.”
After he was arrested for trespassing, vandalism, and battery, a security guard later revealed in court that when Alexander crashed the wedding, he also tried to enter Spears’ bedroom.
Kevin Federline: 2004 to 2007
(Getty Images)
Kevin Federline and the “Gimme More” singer first met at a club in 2004, before they went on to start their relationship. After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
However, only 55 hours after the nuptials, they annulled the marriage.
In 2022, Alexander made headlines when he tried to attend Spears’ wedding to Asghari, as could be heard saying in a video that he was going to crash the nuptials. “She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security. “I’m her first husband, I’m here to crash the wedding.”
After he was arrested for trespassing, vandalism, and battery, a security guard later revealed in court that when Alexander crashed the wedding, he also tried to enter Spears’ bedroom.
Kevin Federline: 2004 to 2007
(Getty Images)
Kevin Federline and the “Gimme More” singer first met at a club in 2004, before they went on to start their relationship. After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony. Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
In 2022, Alexander made headlines when he tried to attend Spears’ wedding to Asghari, as could be heard saying in a video that he was going to crash the nuptials. “She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security. “I’m her first husband, I’m here to crash the wedding.”
After he was arrested for trespassing, vandalism, and battery, a security guard later revealed in court that when Alexander crashed the wedding, he also tried to enter Spears’ bedroom.
Kevin Federline: 2004 to 2007
(Getty Images)
Kevin Federline and the “Gimme More” singer first met at a club in 2004, before they went on to start their relationship. After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony. Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.
In 2006, they welcomed their second son, Jayden James.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
“She’s my first wife, my only wife,” Alexander reportedly told security. “I’m her first husband, I’m here to crash the wedding.”
After he was arrested for trespassing, vandalism, and battery, a security guard later revealed in court that when Alexander crashed the wedding, he also tried to enter Spears’ bedroom.
Kevin Federline: 2004 to 2007
(Getty Images)
Kevin Federline and the “Gimme More” singer first met at a club in 2004, before they went on to start their relationship. After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony. Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.
In 2006, they welcomed their second son, Jayden James. At the time, Federline was already a father to his daughter Kori Madison, now 20, and son Kaleb Michael, 18, with ex-fiancée Shar Jackson.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
“I’m her first husband, I’m here to crash the wedding.”
After he was arrested for trespassing, vandalism, and battery, a security guard later revealed in court that when Alexander crashed the wedding, he also tried to enter Spears’ bedroom.
Kevin Federline: 2004 to 2007
(Getty Images)
Kevin Federline and the “Gimme More” singer first met at a club in 2004, before they went on to start their relationship. After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony. Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.
In 2006, they welcomed their second son, Jayden James. At the time, Federline was already a father to his daughter Kori Madison, now 20, and son Kaleb Michael, 18, with ex-fiancée Shar Jackson.
Spears went on to file for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Kevin Federline: 2004 to 2007
(Getty Images)
Kevin Federline and the “Gimme More” singer first met at a club in 2004, before they went on to start their relationship. After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony. Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.
In 2006, they welcomed their second son, Jayden James. At the time, Federline was already a father to his daughter Kori Madison, now 20, and son Kaleb Michael, 18, with ex-fiancée Shar Jackson.
Spears went on to file for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony. Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.
In 2006, they welcomed their second son, Jayden James. At the time, Federline was already a father to his daughter Kori Madison, now 20, and son Kaleb Michael, 18, with ex-fiancée Shar Jackson.
Spears went on to file for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children. While it appeared they were on good terms after their separation, things took a turn in 2018 when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
After just three months of dating, the two tied the knot in September of that year during a surprise wedding ceremony. Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.
In 2006, they welcomed their second son, Jayden James. At the time, Federline was already a father to his daughter Kori Madison, now 20, and son Kaleb Michael, 18, with ex-fiancée Shar Jackson.
Spears went on to file for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children. While it appeared they were on good terms after their separation, things took a turn in 2018 when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears.
After months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Weeks before their one-year wedding anniversary, they welcomed their first child, son Sean Preston.
In 2006, they welcomed their second son, Jayden James. At the time, Federline was already a father to his daughter Kori Madison, now 20, and son Kaleb Michael, 18, with ex-fiancée Shar Jackson.
Spears went on to file for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children. While it appeared they were on good terms after their separation, things took a turn in 2018 when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears.
After months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month. A settlement was finally reached between the two parties in September 2018, with Spears increasing her child support payments to Federline from $20,000 to $35,000 a month.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
At the time, Federline was already a father to his daughter Kori Madison, now 20, and son Kaleb Michael, 18, with ex-fiancée Shar Jackson.
Spears went on to file for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children. While it appeared they were on good terms after their separation, things took a turn in 2018 when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears.
After months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month. A settlement was finally reached between the two parties in September 2018, with Spears increasing her child support payments to Federline from $20,000 to $35,000 a month.
Federline has since moved on from the relationship, as he married volleyball player Victoria Prince in 2013.
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
Spears went on to file for divorce from Federline in November 2006, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children. While it appeared they were on good terms after their separation, things took a turn in 2018 when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears.
After months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month. A settlement was finally reached between the two parties in September 2018, with Spears increasing her child support payments to Federline from $20,000 to $35,000 a month.
Federline has since moved on from the relationship, as he married volleyball player Victoria Prince in 2013. They now share two daughters, Jordan, 10, and Peyton, eight.
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3597
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
In the couple’s initial divorce settlement, they were granted joint legal and physical custody over their two children. While it appeared they were on good terms after their separation, things took a turn in 2018 when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears.
After months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month. A settlement was finally reached between the two parties in September 2018, with Spears increasing her child support payments to Federline from $20,000 to $35,000 a month.
Federline has since moved on from the relationship, as he married volleyball player Victoria Prince in 2013. They now share two daughters, Jordan, 10, and Peyton, eight.
Adnan Ghalib: 2007 to 2008
Spears met British paparazzo Adnan Ghalib in 2007, shortly after she decided to shave her hair off in front of approximately 70 photographers.
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3598
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
While it appeared they were on good terms after their separation, things took a turn in 2018 when Federline requested an increase of $20,000 a month more child support payments from Spears.
After months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month. A settlement was finally reached between the two parties in September 2018, with Spears increasing her child support payments to Federline from $20,000 to $35,000 a month.
Federline has since moved on from the relationship, as he married volleyball player Victoria Prince in 2013. They now share two daughters, Jordan, 10, and Peyton, eight.
Adnan Ghalib: 2007 to 2008
Spears met British paparazzo Adnan Ghalib in 2007, shortly after she decided to shave her hair off in front of approximately 70 photographers. They only dated for about a year, as the relationship ended in 2008.
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3599
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From Justin Timberlake to Sam Asghari: A timeline of Britney Spears’ relationships
After months of court discussions, Federline rejected Spears’s child support proposal and instead doubled his request to $40k a month. A settlement was finally reached between the two parties in September 2018, with Spears increasing her child support payments to Federline from $20,000 to $35,000 a month.
Federline has since moved on from the relationship, as he married volleyball player Victoria Prince in 2013. They now share two daughters, Jordan, 10, and Peyton, eight.
Adnan Ghalib: 2007 to 2008
Spears met British paparazzo Adnan Ghalib in 2007, shortly after she decided to shave her hair off in front of approximately 70 photographers. They only dated for about a year, as the relationship ended in 2008.
In the 2021 Netflix documentary, Britney vs Spears, Ghalib spoke candidly about the romance, claiming: “It was a very simple, very easy relationship, you know?
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