As of today, all "non-essential" employees at Ensemble Studios were laid off. Those still remaining are finishing work on the Halo Wars RTS for the 360.
Ensemble Studios is probably best known for the Age of *insert name here* line of RTS games, indeed its the only range of titles the company has made during its lifetime. Its funny to see when the company decides (or forced) to do something remotely different, they end up being axed by their parent company.
I supposed the Microsoft execs weren't too impressed when they saw Master Chief and .co harvesting wood, foraging bushes for food and mining for gold and stone harhar.
A new studio is being formed, with some Ensemble employees moving to it. Bets are on that it'll probably be a studio for the 360 only. Can't help but think Microsoft doesn't gives a stuff about PC gaming anymore.