Bethesda staff warn Xbox cuts are delaying Elder Scrolls 6

Bethesda Game Studios staff told IGN on July 9 that Microsoft’s latest Xbox layoffs are expected to slow work on The Elder Scrolls 6, increase pressure on remaining developers and deepen reliance on contractors. IGN said current and former employees, speaking anonymously, described the cuts as having a “substantial and cascading effect” on the long-awaited role-playing game. Microsoft said on July 6 it was eliminating about 4,800 roles, or roughly 2.1% of its global workforce, as part of what it called a company transformation. ### How many Bethesda developers were affected? IGN reported that more than 50 employees were removed across Bethesda Game Studios locations, including workers it described as “key, high-performing people in the trenches” on The Elder Scrolls 6. The report said staff feared the losses would hit the game’s timeline and quality, particularly if experienced employees were replaced by contractors. (in.ign.com) Windows Central reported separately this week that layoffs also hit Bethesda’s Austin office and id Software, another ZeniMax-owned studio. Game File reported that the broader cuts included 158 ZeniMax workers in Texas, 52 Obsidian employees in California and, in an update, 379 ZeniMax workers in Maryland. ### What exactly are staff saying about Elder Scrolls 6? (in.ign.com) IGN said multiple staff members warned of delays, crunch and the loss of “generational talent” inside Bethesda. The report said employees were particularly concerned that veteran developers with years of institutional knowledge were leaving while contractors were being brought in to fill gaps. (windowscentral.com) Kotaku, citing IGN’s reporting, said developers feared further delays for the game after this week’s cuts. Bethesda and Microsoft had not publicly addressed those specific claims as of July 9. ### How does this fit into Microsoft’s broader cuts? Microsoft said on July 6 that the company was cutting around 4,800 roles and focusing its people, investments and energy on priority areas. (in.ign.com) IGN’s live report on the restructuring described the move as the most significant reset in Xbox’s history and said it affected staff, projects and studios across the gaming division. IGN also reported this week that Bethesda leadership told staff the company needed to focus on its “strongest franchises” after the layoffs. That internal message came as Xbox reshaped parts of its games pipeline and canceled or changed projects elsewhere in the division. (blogs.microsoft.com) ### Where does Elder Scrolls 6 officially stand right now? Bethesda’s official Elder Scrolls pages still describe The Elder Scrolls VI as being in pre-production. The company first announced the game with a teaser in 2018, and its public-facing materials have not been updated with a release window. Bethesda’s main news page on July 9 carried updates for Fallout 76, Starfield and other titles, but no new post about The Elder Scrolls 6. (nordic.ign.com) That leaves IGN’s account, based on unnamed current and former staff, as the clearest public description so far of how employees say the layoffs are affecting the project internally. ### What comes next for the game and the studio? Microsoft’s July 6 announcement set the current round of job cuts in motion, but neither Microsoft nor Bethesda has published a new milestone for The Elder Scrolls 6 since the layoffs. (help.bethesda.net) Bethesda’s official Elder Scrolls site still lists the project as in pre-production, and any next public update is likely to come through Bethesda.net, The Elder Scrolls site or a future Xbox showcase. (blogs.microsoft.com) (bethesda.net)