Even The Elder Scrolls 6 Is Affected by Xbox Layoffs, Say Bethesda Employees, as "Key" People Are Let Go and Morale Bottoms Out
Bethesda employees told IGN more than 50 staff were cut, and they expect the layoffs to increase crunch and delay the long-awaited game.
- Xbox layoffs are impacting Bethesda Game Studios, with staff warning that the cuts could delay The Elder Scrolls 6, the long-awaited sequel announced eight years ago.
- Zenimax and Bethesda reportedly aimed to pivot focus toward major franchises like Fallout, Doom, and Quake following earlier this week's staff cuts, but morale is now at rock bottom.
- More than 50 staff including "key, high-performing people in the trenches" were impacted, with 27-year veteran Christiane Meister among those let go. Bethesda staff told IGN the losses will have a "substantial and cascading effect."
- Bethesda executives promised "more efficient development" for the next Elder Scrolls, yet the game remains without a release date following the loss of veteran talent.
- The Doom and Quake studio faces similar devastation, with headcount reductions so severe the developer may reportedly be relegated to "support studio" status according to earlier reports.
26 Articles
26 Articles
'I find myself in the novel position of looking for a job' — 27-year Bethesda veteran who designed Skyrim's humanoid races and a Microsoft dev behind Xbox backwards compatibility have been laid off
Senior Bethesda character artist Christiane Meister has been laid off as part of Xbox's restructuringMeister designed Skyrim's Khajiit and Argonian racesKevin LaChapelle, one of the lead developers behind Xbox's backward compatibility initiative, has also been laid offAs part of Xbox's most significant restructuring strategy we've ever seen, thousands of staff have been laid off, including two industry veterans who worked at Microsoft and Bethes…
Xbox Layoffs Will Impact The Elder Scrolls VI, Bethesda Warns
Bethesda staff have warned that this week’s sweeping Xbox layoffs will have a “substantial and cascading effect” on the development of The Elder Scrolls VI, with staff fearing the long-awaited role-playing game could face further delays. According to multiple current and former employees who spoke anonymously to IGN, more than 50 jobs have been cut across Bethesda Game Studios, including staff working directly on the successor to The Elder Scrol…
The Elder Scrolls 6 Release Date Potentially Delayed
Image courtesy of Bethesda The long-dreaded Xbox layoffs have officially begun, and The Elder Scrolls is among the impacted franchises. A massive number of Zenimax Online staff formerly working on The Elder Scrolls Online have been let go, forcing the remaining team to adjust its ambitious roadmap. Now, those Bethesda staff who remain to work on The Elder Scrolls […]
Delays, crunch, and ‘shattered morale’: How the Xbox layoffs threaten The Elder Scrolls 6
It’s been almost 15 years since the original launch of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Feel old yet? No? Well, it’s also been over eight years since Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 6, the game has not been heard from since, and recent developments make it seem like it won’t be coming any time soon, either. That’s enough to make even the freshest faces feel ancient. To make matters somehow even worse, this week’s thunderous wave of layoffs acro…
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