Bethesda artist says yearly layoffs began under Microsoft ownership
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Bethesda artist Alex Nguyen said the studio has experienced yearly layoffs since Microsoft acquired it, eroding institutional knowledge and morale. He spoke at the Save Our Devs rally organized by the Communications Workers of America and the OneBGS union across the US and Canada. The comments come after Xbox announced 3,200 job cuts in a blog post by current head Asha Sharma.
Key Facts
- Bethesda artist Alex Nguyen said the studio had no layoffs before Microsoft acquired it, but now has yearly layoffs.
- The Save Our Devs rally took place across the United States and Canada, organized by the Communications Workers of America and the OneBGS union.
- Xbox announced 3,200 job cuts in a blog post by current head Asha Sharma.
- Ex-Xbox head Phil Spencer said nurturing creative teams was of utmost importance less than two years after Xbox's acquisition of Blizzard led to 1,900 layoffs.
Union Rally
The Communications Workers of America and the Bethesda Game Studios OneBGS union organized the Save Our Devs rally across the United States and Canada, including on Twitch. The rally aimed to call out layoffs and corporate greed across the industry and demand fair first contracts across Microsoft's gaming studios. Bethesda artist Alex Nguyen spoke to Kotaku at the rally about changes after Microsoft acquired Bethesda.
Layoff Impact
Nguyen said that since Microsoft took over, Bethesda has experienced yearly layoffs, whereas before there were none. He noted that cuts erode institutional knowledge, citing an example where letting go of five people who knew how a system worked forces the team to relearn it. Nguyen also said that games like Fallout 76 and Elder Scrolls Online need sufficient labor and time to become fan favorites. He added that there used to be a shared sense of long-term commitment among staff at Zenimax and Bethesda, which is being smothered by Microsoft's corporate tactics.
Microsoft Leadership
Ex-Xbox head Phil Spencer said in 2025 that nurturing and protecting creative teams that take risks was of utmost importance. That statement came less than two years after Xbox's acquisition of Blizzard led to 1,900 layoffs. Current Xbox head Asha Sharma announced a reset necessitating 3,200 job cuts in a blog post, while also suggesting Xbox should entertain over a billion people daily.
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Bethesda artist says yearly layoffs began under Microsoft ownership
