Would cancelling ESO+ or stopping play be a helpful signal against the layoffs? I don't think so.
Usureki
✭✭✭
I've read many types of reactions to the terrible news from yesterday, I'm so heartbroken I'm still having difficulties finding the right words. People, myself included are obviously in the denial and/or anger phase of grief, and considering the amount of concrete info available (that is very few) on the conditions and antecedents of this whole layoff story, it is no wonder why people are finding scapegoats, such as shareholder greed or pointing luddite-level fingers at AI tech. Though Microsoft is indeed in trouble these days and one cannot underestimate the level of influence AI has on the industry, the real question is in my opinion is;
The options we may have controversial effects.
The point I'm trying to make is that people are working for money and while with the joy it brings to so many people we all feel ownership for ESO, Tamriel, our One World. But this is not a charity organisation, renting the servers, paying employees and doing literally anything in this world costs money.
Please don't make hasty decisions and while my sympathies and respect goes out to everyone affected by the layoffs, let's give a chance to the team remaining, let's give a chance for ourselves to rebuild as a community, let's give a chance for ESO.
.. what can one consumer do to effectively signal their dissatisfaction to have a positive effect on the product they love?
The options we may have controversial effects.
- We can indeed cancel our ESO+ subscription to punish the decision. But who exactly are we punishing with this? It is true that through the labyrinth of ownership structure, indirectly XBOX/Microsoft would be effected with losing money, they'll see that ESO is causing the loss and that will most certainly not encourage them to invest in development any further. If their incentive for the layoffs was to rationalize their spending, deepening the issue will not reverse what happened.
- We can indeed just stop playing because of the fear that servers will juts shut down. But in doing so we may as well become the very reason why other people are leaving, leaving the playerbase in an ever decreasing trend, giving the worst message - game is dying, there is no point in investing in it any further.
- We can indeed rage on the forums, getting ourselves banned in the process. But every voice silenced will just make this place emptier. Please, I do understand and feel the helpless panic we all have, but getting yourself banned from the forums will not solve anything. Please take care and try to maintain a constructive attitude.
The point I'm trying to make is that people are working for money and while with the joy it brings to so many people we all feel ownership for ESO, Tamriel, our One World. But this is not a charity organisation, renting the servers, paying employees and doing literally anything in this world costs money.
Your decision of punishing Microsoft by denying ZOS money through ESO may kill the game instead of giving the message you want.
Please don't make hasty decisions and while my sympathies and respect goes out to everyone affected by the layoffs, let's give a chance to the team remaining, let's give a chance for ourselves to rebuild as a community, let's give a chance for ESO.
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Ardriel✭✭✭✭✭Your decision of punishing Microsoft by denying ZOS money through ESO may kill the game instead of giving the message you want.
Please don't make hasty decisions and while my sympathies and respect goes out to everyone affected by the layoffs, let's give a chance to the team remaining, let's give a chance for ourselves to rebuild as a community, let's give a chance for ESO.
I agree. Still, we should ask the legitimate question of why ESO has lost so many players in recent years in the first place. I don't think we can make up for that, no matter how much we pay.6 -
Radiate77✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭No; it won’t help, but let’s also be realistic.
We have no roadmap.
When that changes, we can talk about spending.Edited by Radiate77 on July 7, 2026 8:38AMDragon Priest [Restoring Light, Draconic Power, Grave Lord]
Death Knight [Grave Lord, Winter’s Embrace, Siphoning]
Pyromancer [Ardent Flame, Dawn’s Wrath, Earthen Heart]
Summoner [Living Death, Grave Lord, Daedric Summoning]
Ranger [Animal Companions, Green Balance, Shadow]
Druid [Earthen Heart, Animal Companions, Stormcalling]
Elementalist [Stormcalling, Winter’s Embrace, Ardent Flame]
Dawnguard [Dawn’s Wrath, Restoring Light, Ardent Flame]14 -
ApoAlaia✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭Keeping or cancelling the sub is a personal choice and I won't try to sway anyone either way however I personally think is immaterial to the matter at hand.
These decisions have been made so many layers above 'the game' and are dealing with figures and expectations so absolutely mind boggling that IMO it would not even register as a blip in terms of what informs the decision making of the parent company.
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amiiegee✭✭✭✭✭LittleLionLeone wrote: »
I can enjoy the game without the sub aswell? How does telling people to quit the game help?
I don’t need to pay their bills to pay their bills, I’m a customer and not charity.
If they don’t deliver contend or updates or needed and promised changes, why would I keep my sub up?
I have still paid the the past so I have the same right as you to play the game and don’t need to be told to quit, just because I decide to cancel my subscribtion due the unsecureness about the games future.16 -
YffresTrill✭✭✭✭Trying to guilt people into continuing to pay money to Microsoft (of all things) in order to prop up the ship they chose to sunk is an interesting take. I will do with my limited money what I please.@ Yffre'sTrill - PC/EU (No Steam)27 -
SolarRune✭✭✭✭I'm going to continue supporting the game, but will be significantly reducing my spend and involvement with other Microsoft platforms and services.7 -
tsaescishoeshiner✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭I wanted to get a bunch of players together to spell out ZOS with their characters to show some support for what the devs must be going through, but I didn't get around to figuring out how to lead that.PC-NA
in-game: @tsaescishoeshiner1 -
Haenk✭✭✭✭✭I did just cancel my subscription, I have 111 days left of ESO+ and will of course use the remaining time.
Hopefully, they came up with a plan by then.
Otherwise I think cancelling your subscription plan while you keep playing is the best option - obviously, they went into beancounter mode, and massively dropping subscription numbers after their accouncement *will* end up on a PowerPoint presentation to management.12 -
Yökarhu✭✭✭To continue supporting the game moneywise tells Microsoft they were right. They didn't need those people. Gamers are so addicted to the game, no matter what they do, "those fools" will still throw their money at them [laughs in corporate].
I rather take my money to Digital Extremes than Microsoft. DE appriciates their workforce and fans.
But I think this conversation in the end is redundant. ESO has only skeleton crew anymore, so they aren't gonna do anything else than maintain and upkeep. I doubt there will be massive new content coming beyond Season1. (at least not without AI) I mean, Microsoft is clearly not investing in the game anymore.
“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”13 -
Nemesis7884✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Lol so fewer people spending less money on the game than before will convince msoft to invest more into the game when they are focused on cost cutting because gaming isnt profitable?
Thats... "creative logic"
The best thing you can do for the game and all employees
A) play it as much as possible
B.) Bring other ppl to the game
C) spend as much as possible on the game
You cant "hurt" msoft - all they look at is investment cost vs profit; and this will be the basis for any future decision.Edited by Nemesis7884 on July 7, 2026 10:02AM8 -
YffresTrill✭✭✭✭Nemesis7884 wrote: »Lol so fewer people spending less money on the game than before will convince msoft to invest more into the game when they are focused on cost cutting because gaming isnt profitable?
Thats... "creative logic"
The best thing you can do for the game and all employees
A) play it as much as possible
B.) Bring other ppl to the game
C) spend as much as possible on the game
You cant "hurt" msoft - all they look at is investment cost vs profit; and this will be the basis for any future decision.
I can only speak for myself, but my motivation for no longer putting money into the game is not to "hurt" Microsoft (obviously my contribution is an electron in the ocean and will not affect them in any way), nor is it to convince them to invest more (as you said, that is illogical).
Rather, I see the trend here (this is not the first round of layoffs, nor the last, and content quantity and quality have overall been trending downward for years, despite the very recent improvements) and do not wish to waste more of my limited resources on it. I think that is perfectly reasonable. There is also an element of principle -- I do not believe Microsoft deserves my money, irrelevant as it is to them, when they are not delivering what I expect from their product.@ Yffre'sTrill - PC/EU (No Steam)15 -
merevie✭✭✭✭✭"We're trying to rebuild community trust".
Did AI generate talking points from running forum posts into its brain and spit that out?
Very, very cynical if a human wrote that.
So here's my hot take -It's not okay to remove the souls of the game -the story writers and artists. I don't care which wonderchild has been recruited, it's like taking original Spiderman and making it into a new style. Doesn't matter how great it is -it's not the original flavor. People don't want new writing styles. People don't want a new art style. There is so much nuance and humor that's not replicable in those particular people's work. You cannot 'replace' an artist.
Microsoft has made a serious error of judgment in that type of change. ESO is an older community. Which is also why they have money. They have loyalty and another place to go very soon -D3. After just getting people back from the 2025 trainwreck, they had a sliver of trust remaining. Past tense. Very disappointed but not at all surprised.8 -
NeoniKa✭✭✭✭I prefer to continue playing, continue supporting the game, and continue bringing people to the game, hoping that it will bring better days for the game and for the team that develops it.
I don't see the logic in causing further harm.5 -
amiiegee✭✭✭✭✭I prefer to continue playing, continue supporting the game, and continue bringing people to the game, hoping that it will bring better days for the game and for the team that develops it.
I don't see the logic in causing further harm.
You can do that and there is no wrong or right, I’m personally just aware - I have no physical good or own from ESO, if they shut the server down in two years I have nothing left but invested loads of money.
Having subscribed a live service with updates and contend, investing in a growing and evolving game - feels right.
Paying so the servers stay up, feels not like it’s my job.
But everyone do yours3 -
NeoniKa✭✭✭✭I prefer to continue playing, continue supporting the game, and continue bringing people to the game, hoping that it will bring better days for the game and for the team that develops it.
I don't see the logic in causing further harm.
You can do that and there is no wrong or right, I’m personally just aware - I have no physical good or own from ESO, if they shut the server down in two years I have nothing left but invested loads of money.
Having subscribed a live service with updates and contend, investing in a growing and evolving game - feels right.
Paying so the servers stay up, feels not like it’s my job.
But everyone do yours
But why would they shut down the servers if they're making money? That's why it seems to me that the best way to preserve the game is to ensure that it remains economically healthy.3 -
amiiegee✭✭✭✭✭I prefer to continue playing, continue supporting the game, and continue bringing people to the game, hoping that it will bring better days for the game and for the team that develops it.
I don't see the logic in causing further harm.
You can do that and there is no wrong or right, I’m personally just aware - I have no physical good or own from ESO, if they shut the server down in two years I have nothing left but invested loads of money.
Having subscribed a live service with updates and contend, investing in a growing and evolving game - feels right.
Paying so the servers stay up, feels not like it’s my job.
But everyone do yours
But why would they shut down the servers if they're making money? That's why it seems to me that the best way to preserve the game is to ensure that it remains economically healthy.
You’re not wrong but in the same moment they need to deliver something for me personally to my sub up.
I paid for the base game at release and I am eso + subbed while they deliver contend and needed updates.
If they don’t do that I don’t need to subscribe.
I don’t care for 1500 crowns per month and a craft bag. You can life and play without7 -
YffresTrill✭✭✭✭
Because it isn't just about if it is making money. They have been making money. It's about whether they are making enough money off this particular product for the corporate overlords to deign it worth continuing to invest in over a different product which might make more money.@ Yffre'sTrill - PC/EU (No Steam)9 -
Alosis✭✭I'll continue my sub for now, though I'm not touching crown crates, and likely not the new premium tomb, for anything because the outlook is too bleak. I use to get the top level amount of crowns when they went on sale, but that won't happen moving forward.
The only way the C suite will listen is if you hit them in the coin purse. Though I suspect they have contingencies for this sort of thing as well.
Also, more layoffs are coming this year from Microsoft and that doesn't give me the good feels.3 -
SkillzMFG✭✭✭✭LittleLionLeone wrote: »
Everyone is like "Microsoft is a soulless corpo" and then at the same time "Why would I be investing in a failed product?" not realizing they share the same mindset, although their decisions make zero impact while Microsoft's decision do.
This type of 'vote with your vallet' brainrot has turned everything into an investment. There are rare times when it's valid, but this time is not one of them. There are bigger things at play here, nobody cares about your 20 euros. If you like the extra content, just buy it and enjoy yourself.6 -
dcrush✭✭✭✭✭
✭tsaescishoeshiner wrote: »I wanted to get a bunch of players together to spell out ZOS with their characters to show some support for what the devs must be going through, but I didn't get around to figuring out how to lead that.
Maybe you can get them to sing “Imagine” together. I heard that usually goes down well.6 -
dcrush✭✭✭✭✭
✭Nemesis7884 wrote: »Lol so fewer people spending less money on the game than before will convince msoft to invest more into the game when they are focused on cost cutting because gaming isnt profitable?
Thats... "creative logic"
The best thing you can do for the game and all employees
A) play it as much as possible
B.) Bring other ppl to the game
C) spend as much as possible on the game
You cant "hurt" msoft - all they look at is investment cost vs profit; and this will be the basis for any future decision.
Perhaps I can’t “hurt” Microsoft but I can decide that I don’t want to be part of the growing group of people who financially support them anymore.
Your point C is hilarious. But by all means, spend as much as you want on the game. It’s your money and you can do what you want with it.9 -
This type of 'vote with your vallet' brainrot has turned everything into an investment. There are rare times when it's valid, but this time is not one of them. There are bigger things at play here, nobody cares about your 20 euros. If you like the extra content, just buy it and enjoy yourself.
When ALL THE PLAYERS that are currently buying ESO+, keep buying ESO+, what's the message to XBOX?
"You fired lot of important people. I don't care. I keep paying."
I know that removing all game's funding is also bad, because that hurts the game itself. I know. There is no good answer. But don't be so shortsiguted to say that XD
No matter if we keep paying or we don't. There's no good decision, because in the end, when a company takes a bad decision, it is cooked. Unless they DECIDE to rehire the people and do things good, ESO is cooked (a.k.a maintenance mode). No matter what we do, it will be bad...5 -
Big corporate don't care about our feelings, they care about our money and how to keep getting it.
ESO was stabbed in the gut yesterday and its bleeding.
I canceled my ESO+ subscription, i have 166 days left - after that I don't know...
I wont buy anymore crowns, anymore crowncrates, anymore season passes.
I love this game a lot and it makes me sad to see what's happening.
Happy summer holidays to everyone
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AvalonRanger✭✭✭✭✭
✭Real problem is not only ESO, but also it may indicate TES6 and Fallout5 will be cancel.My playing time Mon-Friday UTC13:00-16:00 [PC-NA] CP over2000 now.
I'm Tank and Healer main player.0
