Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jul 13
ESO Developers Reassure Fans After 1,000-Plus Xbox Layoffs as Team Returns to Summerset-Era Size
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Jul 13

ESO Developers Reassure Fans After 1,000-Plus Xbox Layoffs as Team Returns to Summerset-Era Size

3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jul 13

Summary

  • ESO developers told fans at the ESO Tavern event in Germany that the MMORPG is not entering maintenance mode despite Xbox layoffs that hit more than 1,000 employees.
  • Jason Barnes and Jessica Folsom said ZeniMax Online is now roughly the size it was when it built Wrothgar and Summerset, two expansions widely praised by players.
  • Kevin Gbolie later confirmed the message on ESO forums, saying the studio still plans to deliver new content and is preparing an updated roadmap.
  • The reassurance followed cuts that heavily reduced ZeniMax Online, leaving fans worried that ESO's recent shift toward smaller updates could signal a broader wind-down.

Insights

After generating $2 billion, why is The Elder Scrolls Online now fighting fears of being put into 'maintenance mode'?
With key staff cut from The Elder Scrolls 6, is Xbox sacrificing its most anticipated game for short-term financial goals?
As a union prepares to strike, can Microsoft's layoff strategy actually cure its 'unhealthy' gaming business or just its symptoms?