Xbox mandates four-day return to office for Redmond area employees

Xbox employees within 50 commuting miles of Studio D in Redmond, Washington must work from the office four days per week starting February 1, 2027. The policy applies to thousands of Xbox employees in the Puget Sound area near Microsoft's corporate campus.

Xbox chief people officer Jacinda Chislum Pearson announced the change in an internal memo. She said the policy responds to employee feedback and aims to create more opportunities for in-person collaboration.

The memo states working together in person makes it easier to review work, resolve issues, and make decisions without scheduling additional meetings. Microsoft previously required employees to return to office three days per week in 2025.

Employees with existing exemptions to return to office rules must resubmit them. The four-day requirement only applies to those near the Redmond campus, while established in-office practices for Xbox studios remain unchanged.

The policy change comes one day after reports suggested Microsoft plans to announce additional Xbox layoffs in October, November and January. Microsoft announced in July it would eliminate around 20 percent of Xbox jobs by the end of June 2027.