Following a wave of mass layoffs that impacted an estimated 9,100 staff at Microsoft, many of whom had been in its Xbox gaming division, the union of staff at Xbox subsidiary ZeniMax have responded with a assertion explaining the present employment standing of its members.
Today, ZeniMax Online Studios United (ZOSU), which represents staff on each The Elder Scrolls Online and the cancelled unannounced MMO, issued a prolonged assertion addressing the layoffs and challenge cancellations. Critically, ZOSU confirmed that as of at present, its members are all nonetheless employed by Microsoft and receiving pay and advantages, although that is seemingly not to be the case eternally.
Per the assertion, employee representatives of the union are at the moment bargaining with the corporate over how the employees will transfer ahead following the shuttering of the MMO. While the union acknowledges that layoffs could also be sooner or later for some members, "as a result of our organizing, we are able to ensure that those impacted will be able to depart with dignity."
ZOSU was formed just last December, consisting on the time of its organizing of 461 staff throughout ZeniMax Online Studios. This quantity included web builders, designers, engineers, and graphic artists at ZeniMax Online Studios engaged on The Elder Scrolls Online and the unannounced MMO. While ZOSU nonetheless has but to attain a contract settlement with Microsoft, its sibling union ZeniMax Workers United, which represents ZeniMax QA staff, reached an agreement at the end of May.
ZOSU's assertion is printed in full under:
Earlier this month, Microsoft indefinitely shelved an unannounced MMORPG at ZeniMax Online Studios, a shock to the 222 ZOSU-CWA builders engaged on the challenge. It has been heartening and validating to see our game talked about within the press and by gamers that might have liked to see the outcomes of our work.
Undoubtedly, a future has been stolen from many of us and our neighborhood won’t ever expertise an superb game. However, regardless of discussions concerning the standing of our employment, the actual fact is: now we have not but been laid off.
While we perceive that for many of us one thing like a layoff is inevitable, final December each the groups behind The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) and the unannounced challenge voted overwhelmingly to kind a union and set up ZeniMax Online Studios United-CWA (ZOSU-CWA). Worker-volunteers elected to signify the pursuits of our union are at the moment bargaining with Microsoft for the benefit of our impacted teammates.
While Microsoft and ZOSU-CWA discount over how we transfer ahead following the challenge closure, the builders behind the unannounced challenge stay staff of ZeniMax Online Studios with full pay and advantages.
On July 2nd, our lives had been upended with out prior discover or communication from Microsoft management and with out clear understanding concerning the standing of our employment. In gentle of this, our union got here along with urgency, gathering and distributing data and sources to our affected members.
Where Microsoft has failed to help the gifted craftspeople who’ve generated billions in income, our union has stepped up to present readability and help.
It is true that a layoff could also be sooner or later for some of our members. However, as a end result of our organizing, we’re ready to be sure that these impacted might be ready to depart with dignity.
More importantly, the work of ZOSU-CWA will proceed in order that our remaining teammates — the stalwart builders of ESO — can observe within the footsteps of our colleagues throughout different departments and studios at Microsoft, together with our union siblings at ZeniMax Workers United (ZWU-CWA). We look ahead to different models who will quickly ratify truthful contracts that may guarantee the rights all of us deserve.
The influence of the huge Microsoft layoffs earlier this month on Xbox particularly was huge, and stays not absolutely understood. We've since discovered that Everwild and Perfect Dark are no longer being developed, and The Initiative has shut down.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can discover her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].