‘We didn’t have layoffs before, and now all of a sudden we have yearly layoffs’: Bethesda artist says ‘something has changed’ under Microsoft
The Bethesda Game Studios union has stepped up labor advocacy efforts, with the Communications Workers of America and OneBGS union participating in the “Save Our Devs” rally across North America to protest layoffs and “corporate greed” in the gaming industry. The event specifically called for fair first contracts across Microsoft’s gaming studios.
In comments to Kotaku, Bethesda artist Alex Nguyen described a notable cultural shift since Microsoft’s acquisition of the studio. According to Nguyen, layoffs were not a regular occurrence before Microsoft’s ownership, but have since become an annual event. “Since we’ve been under Microsoft… it feels like something has changed. We didn’t have layoffs before, and now all of a sudden we have yearly layoffs,” Nguyen stated, suggesting that Microsoft’s corporate structure has fundamentally altered workplace stability and employment practices at Bethesda.
The remarks reflect broader concerns within the gaming industry about workforce stability and the impact of major corporate acquisitions on employee retention. The rally highlighted what the union characterizes as systemic problems created by large-scale corporate consolidation, particularly following Microsoft’s 2021 acquisition of Bethesda for approximately $7.5 billion—one of gaming’s largest deals.