“We mean business” - Bethesda union members to march in protest of sweeping Xbox job cuts

Microsoft announced a major restructuring of its Xbox division this week, cutting 3,200 jobs across the company. Of those, 1,600 positions are being eliminated immediately, with the remainder to follow before the end of the financial year. The cuts impact multiple well-known studios including Bethesda Game Studios, ZeniMax Online Studios, and id Software, with 440+ positions eliminated across ZeniMax properties alone.

In response, union workers at Bethesda Game Studios (organized under the OneBGS banner, affiliated with the CWA) have announced a coordinated protest called “Save Our Devs” scheduled for July 15 at 12:30 PM EST. The marches will take place simultaneously at four locations: Bethesda’s Rockville, Maryland headquarters, as well as offices in Austin, Dallas, and Montreal.

The union emphasized they will not accept the layoffs quietly, stating the company wants them to “accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear.” Union leaders have called on Microsoft to “think twice before ever attempting something like this again,” with members determined to “show management that we mean business.” The statement highlighted the hard-won legal protections and organizing rights that unionized studios have secured, contrasting them with protections available to non-unionized development teams.

ZeniMax Online Studios, which develops Elder Scrolls Online, was particularly impacted with over 60% of its staff laid off. Some studios reportedly forced employees to remove tributes to colleagues who had been laid off, further fueling frustration among remaining staff.

Sources

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