XBOX’s four-day office rule starts February 1, 2027, for Puget Sound employees within 50 commuting miles of Studio D, per a new report.
XBOX chief people officer Jacinda Chislum Pearson issued the memo, which The Verge shared. The memo says the new policy responds to employee feedback and aims to foster more in-person collaboration. The idea is that being in the same vicinity should make reviewing work, resolving problems, and decision-making easier.
XBOX Four-Day Office Rule Applies Within 50 Miles
Microsoft had previously asked its employees to return to the office 3 days a week in 2025. Now, it has increased that requirement by an extra day, citing thousands of employees within commuting distance of Redmond, Washington.
“Starting February 1st, 2027, Xbox employees in Puget Sound who live within 50 commuting miles of Studio D are required to work from the office a minimum of four days a week,” says Jacinda Chislum Pearson, Xbox chief people officer, in the internal memo. “We have thousands of Xbox employees within commuting distance of Redmond. Taking advantage of that proximity and working together in person makes it easier to review work, resolve issues, and make decisions without the burden of scheduling another meeting.”
XBOX continues its reset, hoping it will return to profitability in fiscal year 2027. The next-generation XBOX is codenamed Project Helix. Recent reports suggest the console could cost $1,800. Still, the next major console isn’t expected until at least 2028, though Microsoft’s gaming wing may release a handheld in 2027.
Insider Gaming will continue to monitor the story and report any updates as more information becomes available. What are your thoughts on this change for XBOX’s Redmond employees? Sound off about this story and all others in our official Discord server.
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I'm Robert DeFelice. I spent years covering pro-wrestling industry for outlets such as Fightful. After years in wrestling journalism, I’ve transitioned to video games, another passion of mine.
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“the new policy responds to employee feedback” – By employee, they mean middle management (who have their own private offices) that need to justify their existence.
“make decisions without the burden of scheduling another meeting.” – Meeting-less meetups, aka, people randomly stopping by your open-office desk space to constantly distract you from getting any real work done.
50 miles in the area can take 2+ hours commute each way.
Pugent Sound is right up the road. You guys are just around the corner. I’m sitting here checking out this XBOX so I seen this article and had to look.
still better than a lot of companies right now
So the old people want the kids to show up…..Even if they are still getting their job done at home. Old people are weird.