Xbox chief visits Bethesda amid ongoing staff reductions

Xbox chief Asha Sharma visited Bethesda Game Studios in Rockville, Maryland, where union activists had placed an inflatable rat and flags outside the building to highlight recent staff reductions at Microsoft. The installations represented each employee laid off in the latest round of cuts, which saw 1,600 workers dismissed last month and another 1,600 slated for future termination.

Technical producer and union member Nathan Hahn said the displays were intended to make the impact of the layoffs visible, noting that management had previously restricted posters inside the office and forced the removal of an internal memorial for dismissed colleagues.

Sharma posted on social media about a live preview of "The Elder Scrolls VI," praising its scale and story, without commenting on the protests.

Id Software lead services programmer Chris Hays, speaking on a podcast, said morale at the studio was low and that developing a triple-A title with reduced staff was extremely challenging, emphasizing the importance of the team's relationships over the intellectual property itself.