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Mass layoffs in August: Tech, gaming, and advertising sectors see massive job cuts
From Silicon Valley to India’s money gaming giants, companies slash thousands of jobs amid restructuring, AI adoption, and regulatory challenges.
August 2025 turned into a bruising month for professionals across technology, gaming, and advertising industries, as several global giants and Indian gaming firms announced sweeping layoffs.
August turned into another brutal month for professionals worldwide, with widespread layoffs across technology, India's gaming sector, and global advertising.
While tech major leaned on automation and restructuring, gaming firms in India were battered by regulatory shocks.
Even advertising behemoth Dentsu joined the wave, announcing a major overseas downsizing.
Tech Sector Layoffs: AI and Strategic Refocus
- Salesforce: The cloud software leader cut 4,000 jobs globally, citing AI-driven efficiencies that now handle nearly half of customer service tasks.
- Cisco: The networking giant laid off over 300 employees as it sought to align costs with weakening enterprise IT demand.
- Intel: The chipmaker announced another round of cuts as it struggled with declining PC demand and semiconductor competition.
- Google's Verily: Alphabet's life sciences arm made its third round of layoffs this year, eliminating jobs in operations and strategy amid a tighter focus on healthcare priorities.
- Windsurf: Following its buyout by US-based Cognition, the firm let go of 30 employees and extended buyout offers to nearly 200 others, giving them the option to exit voluntarily.
Gaming Industry Layoffs
- Games24x7 (My11Circle parent): The unicorn began laying off 400 staff, citing GST changes and compliance costs impacting margins.
- Probo: The real-money prediction platform initiated layoffs, with co-founder Piyush Singh admitting sustainability challenges despite growth.
Advertising Industry
- Dentsu: Japan's largest ad agency announced 3,400 job cuts overseas to overhaul its struggling international operations. The restructuring is part of a multiyear plan to streamline costs and pivot to digital-first growth.
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