A second wave of massive Microsoft layoffs has reportedly hit Zenimax Online Studios, with some sources claiming “up to half” of the studio has been cut.
According to a new report by Kotaku, the cuts have been “brutal”. While the total number of employees lost as part of this week’s layoffs is unknown, sources speaking to the outlet expressed doubt as to how The Elder Scrolls Online would “continue to function” given the scope of the layoffs.
In response to this news, and several developers announcing they had lost their jobs at Zenimax Online Studios on LinkedIn, community manager JessicaFolsom posted a statement on The Elder Scrolls Online forum.
This statement starts by reaffirming a “commitment to The Elder Scrolls Online” and says the focus remains on the launch of Season One. This is the first major update after the company moved away from its expansion model, which it claimed had nothing to do with earlier layoffs. The statement then says that the roadmap for updates beyond Season One will be “shifting”, though no further details are provided on how it’ll change or when the public will hear more.
According to Kotaku’s report, those at Zenimax Online Studios received an email justifying the cuts in the name of “improving long-term growth” for the company. Focus from here will be on big franchises including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein.
Less than a year ago, Zenimax Online Studios was hit with substantial layoffs under former Xbox leader Phil Spencer, which was described as “inhumane” by one of the impacted developers. As part of this, a significant portion of The Elder Scrolls Online development team were laid off. On top of that, Project Blackbird, an in-development MMO, was cancelled and its developers were laid off as well. Zenimax Online Studio’s founder resigned in response to Blackbird’s cancellation.
Eurogamer wishes those impacted by these layoffs at Zenimax Online Studios well.
