Rare placed under Activision in IGN report on Xbox restructuring

What happened

According to IGN, Microsoft has launched a broader reset within its Xbox first-party studios. The publication cites layoffs and team consolidation as part of the restructuring. It links those changes to the wider Microsoft Gaming organization and describes them as a new phase in the reshaping of Xbox’s structure.

In the same article, IGN writes that Rare has been placed under Activision. The source does not provide an official explanation from Microsoft or Activision about what that arrangement means for day-to-day leadership, ongoing projects, or the studio’s long-term role. The provided text also does not explain whether Rare’s team, management layer, or product responsibilities are formally changing.

IGN also reports that Activision would receive additional responsibilities within Xbox. The provided text further says Activision would lead the next Halo game. That detail is mentioned in the article, but the supplied text does not include an official confirmation or a separate statement from Microsoft, Activision, or Xbox spelling that out.

IGN adds that some Sea of Thieves fans fear Rare could be used as a support studio, for example on Call of Duty work. The source does not confirm that as a decision or announced plan. In the same context, IGN also notes that some players hope for a new Crash Bandicoot project or a new Banjo-Kazooie game, but that remains speculation in the provided text rather than an announced production.

Timeline

22 September 2026: IGN publishes an article about Microsoft’s Xbox restructuring, with reports of layoffs and studio consolidation within Microsoft Gaming.
22 September 2026: In the same report, Rare is said to be placed under Activision, without further official explanation of the operational impact.
22 September 2026: IGN says Activision would gain additional responsibilities within Xbox, including leading the next Halo game, but the provided text contains no official confirmation.
22 September 2026: IGN also mentions fan concerns about possible support duties for Rare, including Call of Duty work, but does not present that as confirmed Microsoft policy.
22 September 2026: The article also mentions player hopes for a new Crash Bandicoot or Banjo-Kazooie project, without announcing a concrete game.

Background

Rare is the studio behind Sea of Thieves and has been part of the Xbox ecosystem for years. In the IGN report, the studio is now linked to Activision as part of a broader reshuffle within Microsoft Gaming. The publication places that move in the same wave of changes in which Microsoft is said to be merging studios and reducing staff.

The source also says Activision would take on extra responsibilities within Xbox, including leading the next Halo game. The provided text does not include an official confirmation or further detail. As a result, it remains unclear whether that division of roles is already final or simply how the situation is described in the IGN article without additional comment from the companies involved.

Concerns around Rare in the article stem from the broader history of Activision and how acquired teams are sometimes deployed. IGN mentions the possibility that Rare could be used as a support studio for Call of Duty work. At the same time, the publication notes that some players hope for a new project within existing Rare or Xbox franchises, such as Crash Bandicoot or Banjo-Kazooie. However, none of those scenarios are confirmed in the provided text as an official future plan.

The core of the report is therefore that Rare is described in IGN as being under Activision within a broader Microsoft Gaming reset, but the concrete consequences for the studio have not been laid out in an official statement. The available text leaves open what this means for Sea of Thieves, for new projects, and for the internal division of responsibilities between Xbox, Activision, and Rare.