Obsidian Entertainment
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Bethesda Tells Workers The Company Needs To “Change Course” And Focus On Games With “Greatest Potential”
Bethesda is undergoing a significant shift in strategy following recent layoffs at Microsoft's Xbox division. Company boss Jill Braff informed staff that Bethesda must 'change course' and focus on franchises with the 'greatest potential,' including The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, to ensure sustainable growth and continued investment in its games and players.
Obsidian Hit Hard By Xbox Layoffs, With 25% Of Devs Cut From Studio
Obsidian Entertainment has been significantly impacted by recent Xbox layoffs, with approximately 25% of its workforce, around 60-70 employees, being let go. The cuts affected various roles, including senior talent, art directors, and recruiters. Despite the reductions, work is expected to continue on Grounded 2 and planned DLC for The Outer Worlds 2.
Xbox has lost five studios – so who is left to make new video games?
Xbox has undergone significant layoffs, impacting approximately 3,200 staff members and leading to five studios divesting from the company. Xbox leadership aims to refocus on core franchises and expand its daily audience to over a billion people through its services. The article details the remaining studios, their current projects, and their future prospects under this new strategy.
The Outer Worlds and Fallout New Vegas studio Obsidian is reportedly losing a quarter of its staff in Xbox layoffs
Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind The Outer Worlds and Fallout New Vegas, is reportedly laying off approximately a quarter of its staff, around 60-70 employees. These cuts are part of broader layoffs at Xbox, which impacted 3200 jobs across various Microsoft-owned studios. The layoffs affect multiple disciplines, including senior talent, and come as Obsidian continues work on Grounded 2 and The Outer Worlds 2 DLC.
Staff at Fallout: New Vegas Developer Obsidian Reportedly Left Unsure How 'Huge List of Projects' Can Continue After Xbox Layoffs Hit Hard
Staff at Obsidian Entertainment are reportedly concerned about the studio's future projects following significant layoffs within Microsoft's Xbox division. The uncertainty stems from a 'huge list of projects' and the impact of the recent job cuts on the development team.
Xbox Moves On From 4 Studios and Layoffs Off Thousands of Others
Xbox has announced significant restructuring, impacting over 1600 employees and planning for another 1600 over the next two fiscal years. Four studios—Double Fine Productions, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs—will become independent or be acquired by new entities, retaining their intellectual property. Numerous other studios, including Zenimax Online, Id Software, Obsidian, and Bethesda Game Studios, are also undergoing substantial layoffs as Xbox refocuses on its major franchises like Call of Duty, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Halo, and Minecraft.
Xbox's layoffs come with a push to focus on series like Fallout, so naturally New Vegas devs Obsidian have reportedly lost around a quarter of their staff
Xbox has reportedly laid off approximately 1600 employees and is shifting focus to lucrative series like Fallout. As part of these cuts, Obsidian Entertainment, known for Fallout: New Vegas, has lost around a quarter of its staff, with 60-70 employees let go. This news comes amid broader industry trends of significant layoffs and uncertainty for remaining developers.
Report – Xbox cuts around 25% of Obsidian staff
Xbox has initiated significant layoffs across its studios, with Obsidian Entertainment reportedly losing around 25% of its staff, impacting producers, artists, designers, and more. This is part of Microsoft's larger plan to lay off 3,200 employees by June 2027, though Blizzard Entertainment teams have been spared for now. The restructuring aims to shift focus away from smaller acquired studios, but the arbitrary nature of the cuts is causing concern over lost expertise.
Report: Obsidian losing around one quarter of its staff to 'Xbox reset'
Obsidian Entertainment has reportedly laid off approximately one quarter of its staff, impacting 60-70 employees as part of a larger 'Xbox reset'. The cuts affect various departments, including senior talent and the art director for The Outer Worlds. This follows a broader announcement of 3200 layoffs at Xbox, with leadership citing a need to course-correct after ambitious bets on Game Pass and multi-platform strategies did not yield expected results.
Bethesda Hit Hard by Layoffs, Studio Head Says “We Need to Change Course” – Rumor
Bethesda has reportedly experienced significant layoffs, with studio head Jill Braff stating the company needs to "change course" to ensure a more stable foundation and sustainable growth. This shift involves focusing on its strongest franchises, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, potentially impacting development on other titles. The move comes amid broader industry layoffs and aims to reposition Bethesda for future success.
Xbox’s Game Pass Subscriptions Currently Hovering Around 30 Million – Rumor
A rumor suggests that Xbox Game Pass subscriptions are currently around 30 million, a figure lower than the 34 million reported in February 2024 and significantly below Microsoft's goal of 77 million by fiscal year 2027. Despite this, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated the service did not grow as expected but indicated continued investment in higher priority projects, including The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises.
The Outer Worlds 2, Avowed Studio Hit by Layoffs, Affecting 25 Percent of Employees – Rumor
Obsidian Entertainment has reportedly laid off 60 to 70 employees, approximately 25 percent of its staff, including The Outer Worlds 2 art director Daniel Alpert. Despite these layoffs, the studio continues development on Grounded and story DLC for The Outer Worlds 2, while also working on Avowed. Studio head Feargus Urquhart clarified that neither Avowed nor The Outer Worlds 2 were considered 'disasters' despite not meeting sales expectations.
Obsidian was also hit by "the Microsoft sacrificial rituals," says laid-off RPG veteran who previously worked…
Obsidian Entertainment has reportedly been affected by recent Xbox layoffs, with narrative designer Jay Turner and other developers confirming their departure. These cuts are part of a larger "reset" by Microsoft, which aims to reduce its workforce by 3,200 by fiscal year 2027. Reports suggest around 25% of Obsidian's staff, approximately 60-70 individuals, were impacted.
The games industry reacts to Xbox layoffs: 'We are clearly at a turning point'
Microsoft's Xbox division has announced significant layoffs, impacting approximately 3,200 employees and leading to the closure or restructuring of four game studios. This move has drawn widespread reactions from industry figures, expressing shock, sorrow, and anger, with many calling it a turning point for the game industry. The layoffs occur amidst Microsoft's continued investment in artificial intelligence, a decision that has drawn criticism for its perceived prioritization over game development talent.
Even Obsidian couldn't escape the Xbox cuts, with losses ranging from a 21-year veteran artist to an engineer…
Obsidian Entertainment has experienced layoffs, affecting employees including a 21-year veteran artist and a recent engineer. This marks the first time the studio has been impacted by the recent waves of job cuts at Microsoft's Xbox division. The exact number of affected employees is between nine and 49, falling below the threshold that would trigger a WARN Act notice.
Microsoft confirms 3200 layoffs and four studio departures
Microsoft has confirmed significant layoffs affecting approximately 3,200 employees across its Xbox business, including 1,600 on the day of the announcement. Four studios, Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs, will either become independent or find new ownership, while Arkane Studios faces strategic review. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma cited slower-than-expected growth in Game Pass, multi-platform strategies, and content portfolio as reasons for the restructuring, which will also involve reducing management layers.
This week in PC games: Stardew Valley plus vampires, a lavish gamebook RPG, and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, finally
This week's PC game releases include the remake Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced, the gamebook RPG Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle, and various indie titles like Cosmodrill and Mothkeep. News includes potential job cuts at Microsoft and studio closures, while previews of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced and interviews are also mentioned.
Obsidian decided to do Grounded 2 once it settled on creating bug mounts
Obsidian Entertainment decided to develop Grounded 2 because the original game's design did not support the new bug mount feature. The sequel is built from the ground up to properly utilize this system, requiring a revamped world. Grounded 2 also drops support for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to focus on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, allowing for technological advancements.
Rare added to the list of Xbox studios under threat
Rumors suggest that Microsoft is planning significant layoffs across several Xbox studios, including Rare, Bethesda, and Arkane, with some studios potentially facing closure or sale. This follows recent layoffs at Bungie and Microsoft pulling out of a partnership with IO Interactive. The reported motivation behind these potential cuts is a focus on profitability by new Microsoft management.
Comings and Goings
Despite earlier reports, Xbox is retaining Obsidian Entertainment, according to sources familiar with the situation. Separately, fewer than 10 employees remain at the studio Thick as Thieves.