The company Zenimax, which is behind the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, has laid off employees who were directly involved in the development of TESO.
After the launch, fewer employees are needed
In response to Gameinformer, Bethesda stated that Zenimax Online has laid off employees who were involved in the launch of The Elder Scrolls Online, either as developers or in customer service. On Twitter, rumors of layoffs at Zenimax had already circulated.
In an email, they informed the online magazine that this is part of the normal process for such games. They needed a large workforce for development and an expanded support team to handle all the inquiries they expected after the launch. Now, after half a year, the game is running smoothly, and the community has flourished. Therefore, they have adjusted the size of the team to current needs. However, the workforce is still large.
Development of The Elder Scrolls Online reportedly unaffected
Bethesda assures that the ongoing operation and development of The Elder Scrolls Online are not endangered or restricted by this. They continue to invest heavily in the development of TESO, are committed to the game, and are “committed.” They are continuing to develop content for PC, working on the implementation of The Elder Scrolls Online for consoles, and planning to expand into important international regions for the company.
At this moment, nothing is known about the scale of the layoffs. On Twitter, some industry insiders spoke of “large layoffs,” which could be translated as mass layoffs. Colleagues expressed their sympathy on Twitter or even offered job opportunities – as is customary in the industry. Bethesda’s need to confirm the layoffs to several gaming magazines (including joystiq) suggests that this is not just a few employees, but rather a larger number of staff.
Already in June, reports emerged that 300 employees on fixed-term contracts in the Zenimax branch in Galway, Ireland, were laid off from customer support. They were also meant to cushion the expected surge at the release.
Gameinformer does not provide any numbers but expresses sympathy for the employees affected by the layoffs. We at mein-mmo would like to join that sentiment.
