Developers are still rejecting Windows, poll finds, even as Microsoft rebuilds Windows 11 for them

windowslatest.com Sep 23, 2026

Developers are still rejecting Windows, poll finds, even as Microsoft rebuilds Windows 11 for them

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 23, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Microsoft spent 2026 adding developer‑friendly features to Windows 11, including faster WSL, built‑in Linux containers, Coreutils and a one‑command “Windows Developer Configurations” setup. Yet a recent poll by Gergely Orosz of The Pragmatic Engineer, posted on X, received about 4,000 responses and showed macOS at 61.6%, Linux 24.2% and Windows only 12.8%. A similar LinkedIn poll of 6,000 voters produced comparable results. Orosz notes the sample reflects startup and Big‑Tech developers, not the broader community. By contrast, the 2025 Stack Overflow survey, with tens of thousands of respondents, still lists Windows as the primary OS for 49.5% of professionals. The discrepancy suggests Windows remains dominant overall but is losing favor among the most visible tech talent in hiring decisions today.

💡 Why It Matters

· Developers prioritize Unix‑like environments for tooling and deployment, leaving Microsoft with a slim chance to reclaim the most influential segment of the developer ecosystem.

Capsules Microsoft

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Handing Halo to Activision Makes Business Sense, but Is That Enough To…

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has transferred development of the next mainline Halo title to Activision, the studio behind Call of Duty and a core asset of Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition. The move follows a series of layoffs at Halo Studios—formerly 343 Industries, which was rebranded less than a year ago—and a history of uneven critical reception for Halo 4, 5 and Infinite, attributed by insiders to management inefficiencies and reliance on contractors. Activision secured regulatory approval after navigating antitrust scrutiny, positioning its multi‑studio pipeline to deliver a blockbuster Halo entry on a tighter schedule. Sharma’s decision reflects a franchise‑first strategy, prioritizing timely delivery over internal development continuity, and signals a major shift in Microsoft’s flagship shooter stewardship.

💡 By handing Halo to Activision, Microsoft bets on proven production speed to revive a flagging franchise, potentially reshaping the competitive dynamics of first‑person shooters across console ecosystems.

ign.com · Sep 23

CONFIRMED: Microsoft Hands Halo to Call of Duty Developer Activision as Part…

Microsoft announced that Activision will develop the next mainline Halo title, following a major restructuring of Xbox studios that includes 268 layoffs, primarily at Halo Studios. The cuts are part of Xbox chief Asha Sharma’s “reset” after earlier reductions that saw 1,600 employees depart in the summer, bringing the company roughly three‑quarters through its announced overhaul. Halo Studios will be reduced to a small team that supports existing Halo products, while a new, purpose‑built group within Activision will handle the franchise, separate from Call of Duty development. Microsoft also placed Rare and World’s Edge under Activision’s umbrella and continued reshuffling other studios such as Obsidian, Turn 10 and King. No release date or series reboot details were provided, currently pending.

💡 Activision’s stewardship could inject the franchise with its proven annual‑release expertise, potentially reviving Halo’s waning momentum.

eurogamer.net · Sep 22

Blizzard layoffs are reportedly imminent, days after an exciting BlizzCon and a…

Blizzard announced a slate of new titles at BlizzCon 2026, including Diablo 5, a StarCraft open‑world shooter, a new World of Warcraft game and a Warcraft III campaign, with some releases slated as far as 2030. A week later, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier confirmed that layoffs at Blizzard are “imminent,” despite the studio’s recent showcase. Microsoft’s Xbox division is undergoing a second wave of cuts, having already eliminated 2,680 jobs and merged or closed several studios such as Ninja Theory and Halo Studios. An internal Blizzard email, verified by an Xbox representative, indicated that the World of Warcraft department is not affected by the latest announcements. Reports suggest Blizzard escaped the first round of Xbox layoffs and was labeled the division’s “top‑performing” studio, but its future staffing remains uncertain.

💡 The looming cuts could undermine Blizzard’s ability to deliver the ambitious roadmap unveiled at BlizzCon, threatening the momentum of its flagship franchises.

en.sedaily.com · Sep 22

LG Chairman Koo Meets Microsoft’s Nadella to Forge AI Alliance

LG Chairman Koo Kwang‑mo met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the Redmond headquarters on Jan. 21 to formalize an AI alliance that will extend the two firms’ existing partnership. The agreement calls for LG to supply cooling, power and IT infrastructure for Microsoft’s expanding AI data centers, beginning with large‑scale cooling solutions and later “prefab” modular facilities. In return, Microsoft will provide its global cloud and data‑center platforms to accelerate AI transformation across LG’s affiliates, including the rollout of Microsoft Copilot and other generative‑AI tools for employees worldwide. Executives from LG Corp., LG Electronics, LG Uplus, LG CNS and LG Science Park attended, underscoring a “One LG” strategy that bundles the group’s capabilities to compete in the global AI infrastructure market.

💡 By pairing LG’s hardware expertise with Microsoft’s cloud dominance, the pact creates a turnkey solution for power‑hungry AI workloads, giving both companies a competitive edge in the fast‑growing AI‑data‑center sector.

taipeitimes.com · Sep 22

Microsoft to double data centers in Taiwan

Microsoft Corp announced plans to double its Taiwan data‑center footprint from two to four sites, adding capacity primarily in the north to meet surging demand and mitigate single‑point‑failure risks. General manager Sean Pien said demand has outstripped supply for the past two to three years and will continue for a similar horizon, stressing shortages not only of GPUs and CPUs but also of power and rack space. The first Azure phase launched in Taoyuan in 2024, and the expansion will broaden the service catalog from 70 to over 200 offerings, targeting regulated sectors such as government, healthcare and finance. Pien highlighted Taiwan’s pivotal role in the global AI‑hardware supply chain and noted that Microsoft’s custom ASIC development is progressing, with near‑term priority given to internal workloads.

💡 The move cements Taiwan as a critical hub for AI infrastructure, ensuring Microsoft can sustain its rapid service rollout while reinforcing the island’s strategic position in the worldwide computing supply chain.

news.microsoft.com · Sep 21

Microsoft brings AI-ready capabilities across its India cloud infrastructure

Microsoft announced at its AI Infrastructure Summit that the newly launched India South Central region in Hyderabad is now operational, offering AI‑ready infrastructure and a three‑zone resilient architecture designed to scale with demand. The datacenter aligns with MeitY guidelines, supporting India’s DPDP data‑protection framework and security directives from RBI and CERT‑In, while employing high‑efficiency mechanical cooling that achieves effectively zero water usage. Microsoft highlighted its broader India cloud footprint, noting it serves over 10 million Indians with AI training as part of a pledge to upskill 20 million people by 2030. The company, the country’s largest hyperscaler, said its AI infrastructure will help drive the Indian datacenter economy, projected to generate $140‑200 billion in output by 2030, according to BCG.

💡 By anchoring AI‑ready capacity in Hyderabad, Microsoft gives Indian enterprises a locally compliant, water‑conscious platform that can accelerate large‑scale AI deployments and fuel a multi‑billion‑dollar economic surge.