MICROSOFT is abandoning its gaming app Mixer thanks to a new deal with Facebook.
The closure of the live-streaming service has come as a shock to some as they found out the news from a stream of tweets.
Microsoft has said that Mixer will close in one month’s time.
The platform made headlines last year when it signed what was rumoured to be a multi million dollar deal with gaming star and Fornite Pro Ninja.
Despite being signed to Mixer for less than a year, Ninja and other major gamers will not be held to the exclusivity contracts.
Microsoft is now partnering with and promoting Facebook Gaming and is ‘inviting’ all Mixer users to join.
Mixer’s website and app will begin directing users to Facebook gaming from July 22.
Microsoft will be bringing its xCloud games-streaming service to Facebook.
Those in Mixer’s partner programme will be granted partner status for Facebook Gaming.
However, this will only happen if they decide they want to move to the platform.
Mixer said: “Ultimately, the success of partners and streamers on Mixer is dependent on our ability to scale the platform for them as quickly and broadly as possible.
“It became clear that the time needed to grow our own livestreaming community to scale was out of measure with the vision and experiences that Microsoft and Xbox want to deliver for gamers now, so we’ve decided to close the operations side of Mixer and help the community transition to a new platform.”
Facebook’s large global reach seems to be what drew Microsoft to the deal.
Xbox chief Phil Spencer said in a different statement that a wider agreement between Xbox and Facebook had been made.
He added: “In the meantime, we will continue to invest time, energy, and resources to bring Project xCloud to global scale through Azure.
“We’re always testing new features and learning, and we’re excited to explore further as we look to debut click-to-play scenarios within the Facebook Gaming and Instagram communities.”
Partnered streamers who do want to move to Facebook Gaming need to start filling out a form so that Facebook can match “all existing Partner agreements as closely as possible”.
Facebook has said it wants to make the transition as easy as possible.
