Microsoft says it is laying off about 9,000 workers, its second mass layoff in months and its largest in more than two years. The tech giant began sending out layoff notices Wednesday that hit the company's Xbox video game business and other divisions.

An Xbox spokesperson declined to confirm how many people were impacted, but the cuts were widespread and significant. Subsidiaries across the gaming organization were told that they would be affected by the layoffs.

Reports and rumors of massive layoffs at Xbox have been building since late last month, and the first blood has now been spilled. Bloomberg reports that Candy Crush maker King is cutting 200 employees,