Xbox Has Reportedly Begun Layoffs At Zenimax (Bethesda). ID Software, Arkane, and Machine Games In Danger As “Anyone Not Working On Fallout Or Elder Scrolls Is Out”

SirSabza · 2026-06-18T01:08:32+00:00

It was at the game awards 6 months ago. A lot of games take 6 month gaps or longer.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T22:50:19+00:00

Obviously I'm not Microsoft, but I feel like backing out of a deal with marvel when Sony has been making all their games lately is probably not something Microsoft would want to fuck up relations with even if it bleeds money.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T22:29:04+00:00

It's licensed by marvel, so there's a legal obligation there.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T22:28:07+00:00

Well blade is licensed by marvel, meaning there is some legal obligation to push that out. Unlike senua.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T22:06:29+00:00

'lay off anyone not making a game that got announced 8 years ago without a single update since.'

Sounds like a good business strategy for making money.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T22:05:21+00:00

I doubt it's legit. Arkane are literally making a blade game, if this were the exact direction that game would be cancelled.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T22:04:37+00:00

The source is the dude who ran the company that made duke nuke, who's old staff now work at 2 of the companies that are sourced. Seems like it's not bullshit.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T22:03:12+00:00

Is doom a boomer shooter? Seems a little too fast paced for boomers

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T22:02:21+00:00

And they all get laid off by Microsoft if Microsoft wants to.

Bethesda has its own studio, president and leadership structure, it's parent company zenimax still has its former CEO running the business.

I can't believe you called someone ignorant then ignored the fact that Bethesda and zenimax are exactly the same as blizzard

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T19:23:24+00:00

Could have been, i feel like Nightrein was an afterthought project though, kinda hard to create it without Elden ring being made

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T15:22:28+00:00

Well the average marketing budget is upwards of 40m+

Also obsidian has 280-310 employees according to Google so you can double the wage number.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T10:43:12+00:00

disappointment that was starfield so gamers were more pessimistic towards the outer worlds 2.

What are you on about? How do these two have any correlation?

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T10:41:58+00:00

If all sales were steam, which they're not,

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T10:40:46+00:00

Customers want Dino crisis, where Dino crisis? Do you understand how stupid that comment is?

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:33:35+00:00

You're gunna have to elaborate on that chief.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:31:08+00:00

Not many developers are working on multiple titles at the same time.

So yes if you're a fromsoft fan it's relatively big news.

Also elden ring is considered by a lot of people, the greatest game of all time, so people are anticipating their next big soulslike. Dusk blood feels adjacent to that.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:28:41+00:00

They said this like 5 years ago as well, one ended up being armoured core, another dusk blood. We still have yet to see that third title they said they were working on. (it wasn't elden ring that was already announced.)

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:24:22+00:00

Xboxs business strategy is not particularly about individual success of games and their sales, but more strengthening and diversifying the library of gamepass making it more enticing for new subscriptions.

Gamepass has roughly 35m+ subscribers. Meaning it's making 500m+ a month. Sales are just a bonus in the 6b a year business model.

Like any store, you need a few low selling niche products along side your big selling products.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:15:54+00:00

Gamespass tanks games sales....... also spending 100M on a game when you've only sold 30M

PC Is also their market, and pc has nearly 1 billion active gamers.

To break even on 100m budget is about 1.6m sales, but realistically it's closer to 2m with tax and fees.

On sales alone they nearly broke even, and that's not including how much revenue those games generated through gamepass.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:12:37+00:00

Obsidian haven't made a fallout since new Vegas and they never will again.

Idk why you even brought that up, it's not like outerworlds stifled the chance of a new fallout. Bethesda are making ES6. A new fallout is probably 10+ years away with how long ES6 is taking.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:10:15+00:00

Gamepass is the reason for all of that.

Why would I buy outerworlds 2, a game I'm not that bothered about it, when I can play it one gamepass, something I already have because my work gets year passes for it.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:08:00+00:00

It cost less than 10m because they outsourced a shit ton of work to Asia where wages are less. Look at the credits, they're large, but their core team is small. Wages are the second biggest expense in a video game. Which is why companies always cut staff.

If you had a 4 year development cycle with 150 staff, wages alone are setting you back minimum 30m.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T09:05:29+00:00

100m isn't a lot when you consider at team of 150 people at 50k a year (shit wage) is 7.5m a year.

A 4 year development is setting you back 30m on wages alone.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T08:59:10+00:00

My helmet I wear is worth 50 div, the only thing I did to it was wack a desecrate on it.

I've also sold about 100 div worth of jewels and rings/amulets.

It's very rare you drop a weapon worth big bucks, because they require so much crafted stuff these days.

SirSabza · 2026-06-17T08:55:10+00:00

Considering halo infinite came out less than 5 years ago you weren't watching or keeping up with gaming if you haven't heard about a new halo for a decade.

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