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ZeniMax Media, the holding company overseeing video game developers and publishers like Bethesda Game Studios, might be in the midst of some pretty heavy layoffs.
Founded in 1999 as the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax now operates under Microsoft's Xbox division following its acquisition in 2021. Although it boasts various successful titles at the house of Bethesda – RPGs like Fallout 4 and Skyrim included – it could be facing some financial trouble.
Duke Nukem co-creator George Broussard confirms as much in a new online post, alleging that layoffs are underway at ZeniMax.
"Getting word that layoffs at Zenimax have begun," he writes. "Heard rumblings recently that the cuts may be much deeper than you expect. Buckle up!"
What does that mean for ongoing projects like The Elder Scrolls 6? In response to a comment stating the layoffs might not affect anyone working on Fallout or The Elder Scrolls, Broussard seems to agree they indeed don't, asking, "Oh, is that public now? That's exactly what I heard a few days ago."
As for Bethesda itself, Broussard doesn't appear to be too concerned: "Bethesda will be fine. They make all the money." It's certainly an interesting position to hold, taking into account the ties between Bethesda and ZeniMax, but I suppose it makes sense.
Xbox has been going through a time as of late, with reports of studio closures floating about the web left, right, and center. Broussard himself has spoken about it in a recent thread.
"This is the hard truth of it all," it reads. "Earnings and profit. But it is also way amplified when there is a regime change in a mega-corp, and everything changes, and new plans are put in place. The teams and employees pay the price for years of mismanagement of old execs."
He goes on to say, "a zillion devs and lots of studios are going to burn for the sins of the fathers," and "there is a lot of Xbox mgmt to blame here going back 15 years."
It's worth a full read-through, but it's admittedly not an easy one to digest. It's shaky for devs and publishers everywhere right now, and it seems it's only becoming less and less stable.
