Yes, this is in relation to the closing of Tango Gameworks and Arcane Austin. Is there some immediate monetary benefit behind it that I have no idea about? Is it so they can keep the IPs and not have to deal with the developers? Are the Studios too expensive for anyone to buy? I honestly don’t understand how these executives play Capitalism.
Buying a competing business and then shutting it down is what all big tech companies do. They don’t actually want to run that business, but they also don’t want anyone else to run it.
List of acquisitions by Microsoft
Also IP rights. They buy the studio (or the publisher, with the studio beneath it) and then they own everything they make. So they can do what they want with that IP, which is typically nothing but prevent others from doing anything with it.