Microsoft's Layoff Bloodbath: ZeniMax Staff Speak Out – Bloody Hell, It Sounds Grim
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Microsoft's recent layoffs at ZeniMax have left staff feeling distraught and undervalued, according to reports, with some describing the process as 'inhumane' – sounds like a real kick in the teeth for the people who make the games we love. Let's hope the remaining devs can keep the magic alive despite the carnage.
Right, so Microsoft's been at it again, hasn't it? This time, the fallout from their mass layoffs is hitting ZeniMax – the studio behind *Elder Scrolls Online* – and the picture being painted by the folks who are still there is, well, a bit of a horror show. According to a report from Rock Paper Shotgun, who spoke to ZeniMax staff, the way Microsoft handled the whole thing was, to put it mildly, a right mess.
Apparently, one of the casualties was an unannounced MMO called *Project Blackbird*. Now, losing a project is always tough, but the way it went down sounds particularly brutal. Staff were reportedly cut off from company comms – Slack, email, the whole shebang – *before* HR even got around to telling them if they were getting the boot. Imagine the confusion, the stress… it's enough to make you want to rage-quit real life.
One ZeniMax worker, Page Branson, a member of the ZeniMax Workers United - CWA union, described the scene as incredibly distressing, with people left in the dark about their jobs. Autumn Mitchell, a senior QA tester and also a ZeniMax Workers United member, didn't mince words either, calling the process "inhumane." She pointed out the sheer indignity of having colleagues scrambling to say goodbye on Slack after years of contributing to the company's success. You'd think a corporation raking in the dough could manage a bit more respect, wouldn't you?
Branson and Mitchell reckon that things would have been even worse if a decent chunk of ZeniMax staff hadn't unionized. Even so, they said that key developers have been let go, leaving those who remain to pick up the pieces with dwindling morale. Branson noted that "a lot of practical knowledge just disappeared overnight," and that the loss of integral team members has thrown everything into confusion. Mitchell went as far as to say that the remaining staff are expected to keep churning out award-winning games while "looking at a graveyard." Bit dramatic, maybe, but you can understand the sentiment, eh?
Look, mass layoffs are never pretty, but there seems to be a particularly cold efficiency to how Microsoft handled this. It's a stark reminder that, in the end, we're all just numbers on a spreadsheet to these mega-corps. Let's hope the remaining ZeniMax team can weather the storm and keep delivering the games we love. But fair dinkum, they've got a tough road ahead.
Microsoft has been contacted for comment, according to Rock Paper Shotgun. We'll see if they have anything to say about all this. But honestly? I'm not holding my breath.
Tags: Microsoft, ZeniMax, Layoffs, Elder Scrolls Online, Game Development
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun