Microsoft is ending The Garage’s central operation after 17 years, leaving access to employee maker spaces uncertain as the company says experimentation now takes place within regular teams.
The change was outlined in an internal FAQ reviewed by GeekWire. The document says The Garage will no longer operate as a centralized function. A Microsoft spokesperson separately told GeekWire that the company is changing some Garage spaces as part of its ongoing work.
The FAQ says changes will vary by location. GeekWire reported that access restrictions at some sites could have begun as early as Oct. 23, 2026, but its report did not establish whether any took effect. The FAQ does not name affected sites, including whether the flagship space in Redmond, Washington, is among them. GeekWire also reported that employees would not be allowed to take equipment, tools or materials from spaces that close. Microsoft declined to give the outlet further details about the effects on Garage employees.
NDTV Profit reported that employees connected the decision to broader cost-cutting, but did not identify them. Microsoft has not said that savings prompted the change. Its FAQ describes experimentation as part of regular team work, while the spokesperson confirmed changes to some physical spaces.
Microsoft dates The Garage’s origins to 2009. A map published by the company in 2026 showed 15 locations, GeekWire reported. Microsoft records connect Garage or hackathon work to projects including Mouse Without Borders, Seeing AI and the Xbox Adaptive Controller. The company held its first companywide hackathon in 2014.
The FAQ says Microsoft is reimagining its Global Hackathon and plans to share more information later. It gives no date for an update or details about the event’s future structure.
