Faulty reasoning signals

• Confirmation Bias - 6% (31 hits)
• Anchoring Bias - 6.8% (35 hits)
• Availability Heuristic - 15.8% (81 hits)
• Representativeness Heuristic - 3.9% (20 hits)
• Hindsight Bias - 0%
• Overconfidence Bias - 5.5% (28 hits)
• Framing Effect - 12.5% (64 hits)
• Loss Aversion - 0%
• Status Quo Bias - 7.6% (39 hits)
• Sunk Cost Effect - 4.5% (23 hits)
• Optimism Bias - 10.3% (53 hits)
• Pessimism Bias - 11.3% (58 hits)

Article text

The Elder Scrolls Online Team Seemingly Gutted By Xbox Layoffs, Says Game’s Roadmaps ‘Will Be Shifting’

<i>The Elder Scrolls Online</i> appears to have been heavily impacted following <a href="https://kotaku.com/xbox-layoff-3200-most-significant-restructure-history-2000712836">today&#8217;s sweeping cuts across Xbox</a>.

Sources speaking to <i>Kotaku</i> have shared that the impact of the cuts on Zenimax Online Studios, developer of <i>The Elder Scrolls Online</i>, have been brutal.

Shortly after the news of layoffs broke this morning, individuals began getting invites to group meetings with HR, where they were laid off alongside their colleagues.

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/content/?

keywords=zenimax&amp;origin=FACETED_SEARCH&amp;sortBy=%5B%22date_posted%22%5D">Over 20 individuals</a> have already posted about being laid off from Zenimax on LinkedIn, with more across other social platforms.

Many reported having long tenures with the company; several over ten years.

While the total number impacted on <i>ESO</i> is unknown, multiple individuals within Zenimax have suggested to <i>Kotaku</i> that the total number impacted could be as much as half the development team.

In a <a href="https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/695707/an-update-from-the-eso-team">post on the <i>ESO</i> forums</a>, community manager Jessica Folsom has said the team wants to &#8220;reaffirm our commitment to <i>The Elder Scrolls Online</i>.

&#8221; However, &#8220;the roadmaps we previously shared will be shifting.

&#8221;

<blockquote><p>We want to take the time to evaluate the work in front of us and then lock down an updated schedule.

While we&#8217;d love to share a concrete details today, stepping back to get our plans straight will let us come back to you with a clear timeline.</p></blockquote>

<strong>Update 12:30pm ET: </strong>Kotaku understands that earlier today, an email was sent out to Bethesda and Zenimax employees including those on the <i>ESO</i> team, saying the restructuring was for the purposes of improving long-term growth.

Going forward, Bethesda plans to focus on its biggest franchises: <i>Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Wolfenstein, Doom,</i> and <i>Quake</i>.

Employees were also told that existing commitments, such as the upcoming <i>ESO</i> Season 2 that launches in a few days, as well as the upcoming <i>Doom</i> DLC and QuakeCon this year, will continue as planned, though there was no information on future updates or iterations of these things.

<strong>Original story continues:</strong>

Multiple individuals from Zenimax, both those impacted by the layoff and those still employed, expressed to <i>Kotaku</i> a deep uncertainty as to how <i>The Elder Scrolls Online</i> would continue to function with so few people remaining.

The game has been online since 2014 after a seven-year development period.

As of 2024 it had generated $2 billion in revenue, had been played by 24 million people, and was <a href="https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/the-elder-scrolls-online-has-earned-15m-every-month-since-2014/">allegedly bringing in around $15 million per month</a>.

It has seen eight major expansions, with its most recent, Gold Road, having launched in June of 2024, and has since moved to a seasonal structure.

Season 2 officially launches in two days.

The<em> Elder Scrolls Online</em> team was also heavily impacted by last year&#8217;s layoffs, which resulted in the cancelation of the internal &#8220;Project Blackbird.

&#8221; In the last several years, the game&#8217;s developers have formed two unions: one for QA, and one for the rest of the team, <a href="https://kotaku.com/xbox-unions-layoffs-help-2000711624">both of which have joined their colleagues in CWA</a> in demanding negotiation of layoff terms for impacted workers.