Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced he has decided to reduce the size of the company by 13% and let more than 11,000 employees go.

Zuckerberg shared the news publicly in a statement to Meta employees, saying the team is also "taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1."

The cuts, according to Zuckerberg, stemmed from a misjudgment during the COVID-19 pandemic. As companies around the world switched to allowing many of their employees to work from home to keep others healthy, the "surge of e-commerce led to outsized revenue growth." Zuckerberg, and many others, assumed this growth would continue even past the worst of the pandemic, and he made the decision to greatly increase his investments.

This led to more hiring and initiatives, but the plan didn't play out as he hoped.

"Not only has online commerce returned to prior trends, but the macroeconomic downturn, increased competition, and ads signal loss have caused our revenue to be much lower than I’d expected," Zuckerberg said. "I got this wrong, and I take responsibility for that."

To combat this unexpected change, Zuckerberg says Meta needs to become more "capital efficient." It will do this by shifting its resources into a "smaller number of high priority growth areas - like our AI discovery engine, our ads and business platforms, and our long-term vision for the metaverse." It has also made cuts to budgets, perks, and its real estate footprint.

Zuckerberg detailed how the layoff process will go, and Meta employees will receive an e-mail letting them know if they were let go or not. If they are, Zuckerberg has promised the following;

• Severance: We will pay 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks for every year of service, with no cap.
• PTO: We’ll pay for all remaining PTO time.
• RSU Vesting: Everyone impacted will receive their November 15, 2022 vesting.
• Health Insurance: We’ll cover the cost of healthcare for people and their families for six months.
• Career Services: We’ll provide three months of career support with an external vendor, including early access to unpublished job leads.
• Immigration Support: I know this is especially difficult if you’re here on a visa. There’s a notice period before termination and some visa grace periods, which means everyone will have time to make plans and work through their immigration status. We have dedicated immigration specialists to help guide you based on what you and your family need.

"This is a sad moment, and there’s no way around that," Zuckerberg said. "To those who are leaving, I want to thank you again for everything you’ve put into this place. We would not be where we are today without your hard work, and I’m grateful for your contributions.

"To those who are staying, I know this is a difficult time for you too. Not only are we saying goodbye to people we’ve worked closely with, but many of you also feel uncertainty about the future. I want you to know that we’re making these decisions to make sure our future is strong.

"I believe we are deeply underestimated as a company today. Billions of people use our services to connect, and our communities keep growing. Our core business is among the most profitable ever built with huge potential ahead. And we’re leading in developing the technology to define the future of social connection and the next computing platform. We do historically important work. I’m confident that if we work efficiently, we’ll come out of this downturn stronger and more resilient than ever.

"We’ll share more on how we’ll operate as a streamlined organization to achieve our priorities in the weeks ahead. For now, I’ll say one more time how thankful I am to those of you who are leaving for everything you’ve done to advance our mission."

Meta's layoffs follow a similar move by Twitter that saw the Elon Musk-led company let go of 3,700 of its employees.

This unfortunate news follows Meta's quarterly earnings that revealed that its Reality Labs division, which covers its VR, XR, and metaverse endeavors, saw $3.7 billion in losses from operations. Reality Labs has lost $9.4 billion so far this year, and that's even up from the $6.9 billion it lost in the same period in 2021.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced he has decided to reduce the size of the company by 13% and let more than 11,000 employees go.

Zuckerberg shared the news publicly in a statement to Meta employees, saying the team is also "taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1."

The cuts, according to Zuckerberg, stemmed from a misjudgment during the COVID-19 pandemic. As companies around the world switched to allowing many of their employees to work from home to keep others healthy, the "surge of e-commerce led to outsized revenue growth." Zuckerberg, and many others, assumed this growth would continue even past the worst of the pandemic, and he made the decision to greatly increase his investments.

This led to more hiring and initiatives, but the plan didn't play out as he hoped.

"Not only has online commerce returned to prior trends, but the macroeconomic downturn, increased competition, and ads signal loss have caused our revenue to be much lower than I’d expected," Zuckerberg said. "I got this wrong, and I take responsibility for that."

To combat this unexpected change, Zuckerberg says Meta needs to become more "capital efficient." It will do this by shifting its resources into a "smaller number of high priority growth areas - like our AI discovery engine, our ads and business platforms, and our long-term vision for the metaverse." It has also made cuts to budgets, perks, and its real estate footprint.

Zuckerberg detailed how the layoff process will go, and Meta employees will receive an e-mail letting them know if they were let go or not. If they are, Zuckerberg has promised the following;

• Severance: We will pay 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks for every year of service, with no cap.
• PTO: We’ll pay for all remaining PTO time.
• RSU Vesting: Everyone impacted will receive their November 15, 2022 vesting.
• Health Insurance: We’ll cover the cost of healthcare for people and their families for six months.
• Career Services: We’ll provide three months of career support with an external vendor, including early access to unpublished job leads.
• Immigration Support: I know this is especially difficult if you’re here on a visa. There’s a notice period before termination and some visa grace periods, which means everyone will have time to make plans and work through their immigration status. We have dedicated immigration specialists to help guide you based on what you and your family need.

"This is a sad moment, and there’s no way around that," Zuckerberg said. "To those who are leaving, I want to thank you again for everything you’ve put into this place. We would not be where we are today without your hard work, and I’m grateful for your contributions.

"To those who are staying, I know this is a difficult time for you too. Not only are we saying goodbye to people we’ve worked closely with, but many of you also feel uncertainty about the future. I want you to know that we’re making these decisions to make sure our future is strong.

"I believe we are deeply underestimated as a company today. Billions of people use our services to connect, and our communities keep growing. Our core business is among the most profitable ever built with huge potential ahead. And we’re leading in developing the technology to define the future of social connection and the next computing platform. We do historically important work. I’m confident that if we work efficiently, we’ll come out of this downturn stronger and more resilient than ever.

"We’ll share more on how we’ll operate as a streamlined organization to achieve our priorities in the weeks ahead. For now, I’ll say one more time how thankful I am to those of you who are leaving for everything you’ve done to advance our mission."

Meta's layoffs follow a similar move by Twitter that saw the Elon Musk-led company let go of 3,700 of its employees.

This unfortunate news follows Meta's quarterly earnings that revealed that its Reality Labs division, which covers its VR, XR, and metaverse endeavors, saw $3.7 billion in losses from operations. Reality Labs has lost $9.4 billion so far this year, and that's even up from the $6.9 billion it lost in the same period in 2021.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Vikings alum Travis Fimmel has been cast as the male lead in the prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood at HBO Max.

As reported by Variety, Fimmel will star as Desmond Hart in the upcoming Dune prequel series, opposite Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson's Harkonnen sisters. The character Fimmel will be playing is described as "a charismatic soldier with an enigmatic past, who seeks to gain the Emperor's trust at the expense of the Sisterhood."

Along with Watson and Henderson, Fimmel joins a cast that includes Indira Varma, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds and Chloe Lea. Fimmel is best known for starring as Ragnar Lothbrok in the historical drama Vikings, though more recently, he headlined the sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves on HBO Max.

Dune: The Sisterhood is set 10,000 years before the events of Dune: Part One and is based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The series will follow "the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit."

The Bene Gesserit has played a role in many prequels and sequels to the original book, which shed light on the origins of the order. Their goal is to harness the power of selective breeding and produce an offspring called the Kwisatz Haderach, a male superhuman messiah who can see the future and access the genetic memories of his ancestors.

While the prequel series explores earlier events in the Dune universe, Dune: Part Two is expected to pick up where Denis Villeneuve's first movie left off, following the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen. The second installment is already in production, with its release date set for November 3, 2023.

For more on the franchise and its complex timeline, here's everything you need to know about the Dune novel and its latest movie adaptation.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Vikings alum Travis Fimmel has been cast as the male lead in the prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood at HBO Max.

As reported by Variety, Fimmel will star as Desmond Hart in the upcoming Dune prequel series, opposite Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson's Harkonnen sisters. The character Fimmel will be playing is described as "a charismatic soldier with an enigmatic past, who seeks to gain the Emperor's trust at the expense of the Sisterhood."

Along with Watson and Henderson, Fimmel joins a cast that includes Indira Varma, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds and Chloe Lea. Fimmel is best known for starring as Ragnar Lothbrok in the historical drama Vikings, though more recently, he headlined the sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves on HBO Max.

Dune: The Sisterhood is set 10,000 years before the events of Dune: Part One and is based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The series will follow "the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit."

The Bene Gesserit has played a role in many prequels and sequels to the original book, which shed light on the origins of the order. Their goal is to harness the power of selective breeding and produce an offspring called the Kwisatz Haderach, a male superhuman messiah who can see the future and access the genetic memories of his ancestors.

While the prequel series explores earlier events in the Dune universe, Dune: Part Two is expected to pick up where Denis Villeneuve's first movie left off, following the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen. The second installment is already in production, with its release date set for November 3, 2023.

For more on the franchise and its complex timeline, here's everything you need to know about the Dune novel and its latest movie adaptation.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Devotion and Sleight director J.D. Dillard has confirmed his Star Wars movie is "unfortunately no longer a thing."

Speaking to TheWrap, Dillard opened up about the Star Wars film that was reportedly in the works in 2020 with Luke Cage writer Matt Owens. That news arrived after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Lucasfilm's decision to have movies from that galaxy far, far away go on a "bit of a hiatus."

While Dillard wasn't ready to fully discuss what the film would have been about, he did confirm that the project was "unfortunately no longer a thing," While he admitted "it was not for lack of trying," the fact of the matter remains that getting a movie on the big screen, especially a Star Wars movie, is no easy feat. He still loves the idea of making a space movie, but now "it will be an original idea."

Dillard did share that the PC game Star Wars: TIE Fighter was his first introduction into Star Wars and it forever changed his life.

"My dad being an aviator, we had a bunch of flight simulators,” Dillard said. “I’m playing this [Star Wars: TIE Fighter] for months. And my dad’s flying it with me. And I’m like, ‘Man, this game is just so cool.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, you know, this game comes from a series of movies.’ And I was like, ‘You’re kidding me.’ That is where I watched ‘Star Wars’ for the first time and realized the full scope of what it meant to world build because I’d been playing this pseudo-16-bit game.”

Moving on from Star Wars, Dillard also said he isn't attached to Disney's The Return of the Rocketeer, a project he's been linked to since 2020.

"I am not on that movie,” Dillard said. “But, you know, it’s tricky. I love, love, love ‘The Rocketeer.’ What I have a slightly hard time wrapping my head around now is going back to pre-1970 aviation. You know, I’m not saying never. But I think I need a breather from period aviation.

“I’m definitely trying to, as hopefully you can tell between ‘Sleight,’ ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Devotion,’ not to make the same movie twice. I’m going to keep it steady on that.”

As to that period aviation comment, Dillard was speaking of Devotion, his upcoming film starring Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell that tells the true story of two elite U.S. fighter pilots during the Korean War. Devotion will be released in theaters on November 23, 2022.

Lastly, Dillard discussed the reports that he was loosely attached to J.J. Abrams' Black Superman project. Despite getting his start by working with Abrams on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Dillard says this project was "something I have never spoken about."

"J.J. is a hero of mine, a mentor and someone very dear to me. He totally has my email and phone number if that is ever to be a conversation,” Dillard said. “But that is not something I have been introduced to.”

This news follows the report that Stranger Things and Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy is in talks to direct a Star Wars movie. That project joins other confirmed and reported Star Wars projects from Damon Lindelof and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Taika Waititi, Patty Jenkins, and Rian Johnson.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Devotion and Sleight director J.D. Dillard has confirmed his Star Wars movie is "unfortunately no longer a thing."

Speaking to TheWrap, Dillard opened up about the Star Wars film that was reportedly in the works in 2020 with Luke Cage writer Matt Owens. That news arrived after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Lucasfilm's decision to have movies from that galaxy far, far away go on a "bit of a hiatus."

While Dillard wasn't ready to fully discuss what the film would have been about, he did confirm that the project was "unfortunately no longer a thing," While he admitted "it was not for lack of trying," the fact of the matter remains that getting a movie on the big screen, especially a Star Wars movie, is no easy feat. He still loves the idea of making a space movie, but now "it will be an original idea."

Dillard did share that the PC game Star Wars: TIE Fighter was his first introduction into Star Wars and it forever changed his life.

"My dad being an aviator, we had a bunch of flight simulators,” Dillard said. “I’m playing this [Star Wars: TIE Fighter] for months. And my dad’s flying it with me. And I’m like, ‘Man, this game is just so cool.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, you know, this game comes from a series of movies.’ And I was like, ‘You’re kidding me.’ That is where I watched ‘Star Wars’ for the first time and realized the full scope of what it meant to world build because I’d been playing this pseudo-16-bit game.”

Moving on from Star Wars, Dillard also said he isn't attached to Disney's The Return of the Rocketeer, a project he's been linked to since 2020.

"I am not on that movie,” Dillard said. “But, you know, it’s tricky. I love, love, love ‘The Rocketeer.’ What I have a slightly hard time wrapping my head around now is going back to pre-1970 aviation. You know, I’m not saying never. But I think I need a breather from period aviation.

“I’m definitely trying to, as hopefully you can tell between ‘Sleight,’ ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Devotion,’ not to make the same movie twice. I’m going to keep it steady on that.”

As to that period aviation comment, Dillard was speaking of Devotion, his upcoming film starring Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell that tells the true story of two elite U.S. fighter pilots during the Korean War. Devotion will be released in theaters on November 23, 2022.

Lastly, Dillard discussed the reports that he was loosely attached to J.J. Abrams' Black Superman project. Despite getting his start by working with Abrams on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Dillard says this project was "something I have never spoken about."

"J.J. is a hero of mine, a mentor and someone very dear to me. He totally has my email and phone number if that is ever to be a conversation,” Dillard said. “But that is not something I have been introduced to.”

This news follows the report that Stranger Things and Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy is in talks to direct a Star Wars movie. That project joins other confirmed and reported Star Wars projects from Damon Lindelof and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Taika Waititi, Patty Jenkins, and Rian Johnson.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

As Halo Infinite's Winter Update arrives, 343 Industries has taken the time to thank its fans for their patience and support alongside promising shorter seasons, more consistent content drops, and "bigger things to come" in the future.

343 shared the message on Halo Waypoint, saying it knows the journey from Halo Infinite's launch "hasn't been the smoothest or quickest ride." It also said that the Winter Update - which adds match and performance-based XP, the Forge Mode beta, the official launch of online campaign co-op and campaign replay, two new maps, a new battle pass, the Covert One Flag game mode, and more - is a big moment for the studio.

"The Winter Update marks a major step forward for our game and studio, but this is just the first step of that evolution," 343 wrote. "The team is actively working on key player experience priorities across the game to address areas of feedback, and we are targeting another game update before the end of this year.

"Your support is greatly appreciated, and we can’t wait to turn this corner with you all in 2023 as we look to shorter seasons, a more regular stream of content, and bigger things to come."

One of the biggest complaints players have had in regard to Halo Infinite besides the initial controversial multiplayer progression was the lack of a steady stream of new content. In April, 343 said it understands the "community is simply out of patience." It said it needed some time to get the ship back on track, and it appears to be in a good place now to do so.

For more on Halo Infinite, check out how match and performance-based XP will work, and let us know how you are feeling about the future of Halo.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

As Halo Infinite's Winter Update arrives, 343 Industries has taken the time to thank its fans for their patience and support alongside promising shorter seasons, more consistent content drops, and "bigger things to come" in the future.

343 shared the message on Halo Waypoint, saying it knows the journey from Halo Infinite's launch "hasn't been the smoothest or quickest ride." It also said that the Winter Update - which adds match and performance-based XP, the Forge Mode beta, the official launch of online campaign co-op and campaign replay, two new maps, a new battle pass, the Covert One Flag game mode, and more - is a big moment for the studio.

"The Winter Update marks a major step forward for our game and studio, but this is just the first step of that evolution," 343 wrote. "The team is actively working on key player experience priorities across the game to address areas of feedback, and we are targeting another game update before the end of this year.

"Your support is greatly appreciated, and we can’t wait to turn this corner with you all in 2023 as we look to shorter seasons, a more regular stream of content, and bigger things to come."

One of the biggest complaints players have had in regard to Halo Infinite besides the initial controversial multiplayer progression was the lack of a steady stream of new content. In April, 343 said it understands the "community is simply out of patience." It said it needed some time to get the ship back on track, and it appears to be in a good place now to do so.

For more on Halo Infinite, check out how match and performance-based XP will work, and let us know how you are feeling about the future of Halo.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Street Fighter 6 will be getting a new Dynamic Controls option that is meant to "help button masher excel."

As reported by Game Informer, we already knew Street Fighter 6 would be getting a Modern control option that simplifies certain attacks into a single button press, but this third option - Dynamic Controls - looks to accomplish something more for a different type of player.

Game Informer's Brian Shea was able to see Dynamic Controls in action, and he saw producer Shuhei Matsumoto tap face buttons one at a time to use all kinds of different attacks. As Shea puts it, "It quickly becomes apparent that Dynamic Controls aren't meant to test your skills as a Street Fighter player but rather to ensure every player is included in the fun."

This could be a wonderful option for those who may play with a younger fighter and is another example of Street Fighter 6 attempting to be one of the most accessible entries in the franchise.

"In a normal fighting game, when they [mash buttons], they just do a lot of whiffs," Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama says. "We wanted something important and something that makes a difference happen by randomly pressing buttons."

While you may not know what attack will come when you press a button, there is still some strategy involved in Dynamic Controls if you wish to engage with it. For example, the type of attack your character performs will be partially determined by your current position and situation. This means you may throw a projectile if you are further away and you may do a more close-range combo if you are in your opponent's face.

Classic controls and the Modern control option are available across all game modes, but this new Dynamic Controls option will only be available in local play as it's meant to be more of an "easy mode."

Street Fighter 6 is set to be released in 2023 and we recently said it may have just had one of the best fighting game betas we've ever played.

For more, check out Street Fighter 6's full launch roster and our hands-on preview from TGS 2022.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Twitter has confirmed it is now adding an "official" non-paid grey verification checkmark alongside the $8/month blue checkmark that anyone can soon get with Twitter Blue.

The news was shared by Twitter's Esther Crawford, who confirmed this "official" label will launch alongside the paid blue checkmark that used to indicate an account was official or of public interest.

A lot of folks have asked about how you'll be able to distinguish between @TwitterBlue subscribers with blue checkmarks and accounts that are verified as official, which is why we’re introducing the “Official" label to select accounts when we launch. pic.twitter.com/0p2Ae5nWpO

— Esther Crawford ✨ (@esthercrawford) November 8, 2022

However, it appears not all accounts that are currently verified with a blue checkmark will get the "official" label. Furthermore, this new label appears to accomplish what the blue checkmark currently does before it soon becomes a paid feature everyone can get.

Accounts that will receive this new "official" label include "government accounts, commercial companies, business partners, major media outlets, publishers, and some public figures." Those that aren't deemed "official" by Twitter will still be able to pay $8/month to subscribe to Twitter Blue without ID verification to gain a "blue checkmark and access to select features."

Twitter Blue and the "official" label are set to launch on or after November 9 as it didn't want to cause any confusion during the U.S.' midterm elections.

Following Elon Musk's $44 billion deal to takeover Twitter was completed, reports came out that the company was set to charge $20/month for verification. Musk took to Twitter to defend the fee, then confirmed it would end up being $8/month.

"Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit," Musk wrote. "Power to the people! Blue for $8/month."

Those who subscribe to Twitter Blue for the blue checkmark will also get priority in replies, mentions, and search, the ability to poster longer audio and video, and half as many ads.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.