Oblivion Remastered Devs Facing Layoffs? Ouch. Looks Like Even Nostalgia Can't Pay the Bills, Mate.
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Virtuos, known for their work on *Oblivion Remastered* and other remasters, is reportedly planning layoffs, potentially affecting 300 employees. It seems even tapping into the nostalgia market isn't enough to guarantee smooth sailing in the games industry.
Right, so, word on the street (or, more accurately, on Bluesky) is that Virtuos, the folks who helped bring us things like *Oblivion Remastered*, *Dark Souls Remastered*, and are currently wrestling with *Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater*, are potentially facing some serious layoffs. Rock Paper Shotgun are reporting that up to 300 jobs could be at risk. Ouch.
According to Gauthier Andres of French outlet Origami (via Bluesky, bless its heart), that's roughly 7% of Virtuos' total workforce. Virtuos themselves boast over 4200 employees globally, so it's a fair chunk of the team potentially affected.
Now, the rumour mill suggests the brunt of these layoffs will hit Virtuos' Chinese studios, but whispers are also circulating that staff in other regions, including those French studios that held Bethesda's hand during the *Oblivion Remastered* project, might also be feeling the squeeze.
Virtuos has been on a bit of an acquisition spree lately, snapping up five studios since August 2024, including Third Kind Games over in the UK and a shiny new studio in South Korea. Makes you wonder what's going on behind the scenes, doesn't it?
Andres' reporting, helpfully translated on ResetEra, paints a picture of Virtuos going above and beyond on *Oblivion*, delivering a top-notch product but possibly overspending in the process. Apparently, they took on the project without any royalties, which is a bold move, Cotton, let's see if it pays off. The rumour is that this 'over-delivering' pushed teams to their limits for what was essentially a showcase project, and now the bean counters are having a word.
It sounds like Virtuos was hoping that working on bigger remasters and series would be a game-changer (pun intended), moving away from smaller, less ambitious projects. But maybe they bet the farm on nostalgia, and it didn't quite pay off the way they hoped.
This comes hot on the heels of Microsoft's massive layoffs at Bethesda (around 9,000, no less), so it's a bit of a double whammy for the *Oblivion* universe. Some ZeniMax devs working on a cancelled MMO are currently in limbo, according to their union. Bloody hell, it's a tough time to be in the games industry.
We've reached out to Virtuos for comment, but so far, radio silence. Either way, let's hope they can find a solution that doesn't involve losing so many talented developers. Nobody wants to see that.
Tags: Oblivion Remastered, Virtuos, Layoffs, Game Development, Industry News
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun