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Bethesda

All articles tagged with #bethesda

Bethesda Unions Rally for Rights as Microsoft Slashes 440 Jobs
business57 minutes ago

Bethesda Unions Rally for Rights as Microsoft Slashes 440 Jobs

Unionized Bethesda Game Studios workers plan protests outside studios in Montreal, Austin, Dallas, and Rockville after layoffs of about 440 employees across BGS and ZeniMax; the CWA-affiliated Bethesda Game Studios Union says Microsoft must negotiate through effects bargaining and will push for preferential transfers to open Xbox/Microsoft roles, extended severance and healthcare, and recall rights to rehire laid-off staff when projects expand; protests scheduled for July 15.

Bethesda Bets Big on Franchises as Layoffs Reshape Its Future
video-games-news2 days ago

Bethesda Bets Big on Franchises as Layoffs Reshape Its Future

An opinion piece argues Bethesda's memo to focus on its strongest franchises signals a shift from individual studio roadmaps to cross‑studio collaboration and long‑term IP potential, in the wake of Xbox layoffs. The author notes ambiguity over which franchises will lead, warns of ongoing cuts at id Software and The Elder Scrolls Online, and questions the fate of Fallout, The Elder Scrolls 6, Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake. The piece suggests this risk‑averse pivot could boost cross‑media ties while reducing room for niche, creative projects, potentially harming fan enthusiasm and job stability.

Xbox layoff wave hits id Software and Bethesda
business3 days ago

Xbox layoff wave hits id Software and Bethesda

Microsoft announced 3,200 layoffs across the Xbox division, with reports that id Software and Bethesda were hit hard: roughly half of id Software’s staff (about 90 people) and as much as half of The Elder Scrolls Online team were cut, per anonymous sources and Kotaku. Bethesda President Jill Braff emailed staff acknowledging the impact and urging a focus on core franchises, as Microsoft also plans to cut 1,600 more roles this fiscal year on top of yesterday’s round. The upheaval raises questions for titles like Starfield and ongoing ESO development within the company’s game studios.

Xbox Redirects Investment Toward Core Studios in Major Restructuring
business4 days ago

Xbox Redirects Investment Toward Core Studios in Major Restructuring

Microsoft's Xbox is shifting investment toward high-priority studios—Activision, Bethesda/ZeniMax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and Xbox Game Studios—as part of a sweeping restructuring that includes 1,600 layoffs now (3,200 total), a 50% cut in vendor spend, and a push to accelerate development of big-budget titles while continuing to support mobile games; no first-party titles are being canceled.

Bethesda Drops Oblivion Remastered Physical Edition on Switch 2 Amid Sony’s Digital Push
gaming8 days ago

Bethesda Drops Oblivion Remastered Physical Edition on Switch 2 Amid Sony’s Digital Push

After Sony announces all PlayStation games will be digital-only from January 2028, Bethesda posts a cheeky promo for a physical edition of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered for Nintendo Switch 2, arriving August 11. The timing sparked fan chatter about a sly jab at Sony, though Bethesda suggested the post was likely preplanned. The release follows a June 30 blog detailing how Oblivion’s Switch 2 launch will work, and fans are split between praise for physical media and criticism that Bethesda didn’t apply the same treatment to Skyrim or Fallout 4.

Fallout 76’s PS5 Revival Gets a Public Test Drive Before Launch
technology1 month ago

Fallout 76’s PS5 Revival Gets a Public Test Drive Before Launch

Bethesda will release a free PS5 “test version” of Fallout 76 for current owners later this month to gather public feedback ahead of the final PS5 release, planned for this summer. The native PS5 edition targets 60fps on base PS5 and PS5 Pro, with 4K on PS5 Pro (1440p on base PS5), VRR support, and improved draw distances and shadows. The testing period is meant to catch and fix issues before the final build, a rare move that lets the live- service game’s current playerbase experience the upgrade sooner.

Xbox’s 2026 Showcase hints at a 12-month rollout, big reveals and a renewed direction
gaming1 month ago

Xbox’s 2026 Showcase hints at a 12-month rollout, big reveals and a renewed direction

Predictions for the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 center on games slated to launch in the next 12 months and a refreshed Xbox strategy under new leadership. Expect reveals like Clockwork Revolution, DOOM: The Dark Ages DLC, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Gears of War: E‑Day, plus nostalgia plays and potential hardware/console updates such as an Xbox Elite Controller Series 3 and ongoing PC/cloud enhancements. Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 are unlikely this year, though a Fallout 3 remake teaser could surface. Blizzard content will likely wait for BlizzCon, with talk of backwards compatibility and new partnerships as Xbox seeks to renew faith in its 25-year arc.

Fallout 76 Infestations Inject Emergent Co-op Chaos Across Appalachia
technology1 month ago

Fallout 76 Infestations Inject Emergent Co-op Chaos Across Appalachia

Bethesda previews Fallout 76: Infestations, a new dynamic activity that overhauls 40 outdoor locations with roaming faction bosses, creating emergent co-op chaos across Appalachia. Infestations appear as you explore and can be joined by nearby teammates; each boss has a unique weapon and a random Mutation. Up to five infestations can run simultaneously on a server, spawning every 10 minutes, with players chasing 4-star Legendary loot drawn from a common pool plus content-specific items like the Vector Armor Mod and Tarnished Weapon Mod. Loot and difficulty scale from level 50 to 200, supporting both solo and group play, and infestations despawn after 5 hours if ignored. Interiors may come later as the map refreshes, emphasizing a living, iterative world.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: A Potent, Portable Adventure
technology1 month ago

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: A Potent, Portable Adventure

MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Switch 2 delivers a richly detailed, immersive first‑person adventure with strong writing, memorable characters, and open‑world exploration. While the port showcases impressive atmosphere and in‑world upgrades, it trims visuals and struggles with docked‑mode frame rate and occasional bugs, making it a standout Indy experience primarily for fans who don’t mind the port’s imperfections.