Standing in solidarity with ZeniMax union members

LittlePinkDot · July 15

https://www.ign.com/articles/zenimax-union-responds-to-microsoft-canceling-unannounced-mmo-a-future-has-been-stolen-from-us

It is shameful that Microsoft that has so much net value would treat the people that made them billions like disposable trash. And I've also heard Microsoft is replacing them with 6000 cheaper foreign worker H1B visa holders.

To whomever gets laid off. I suggest you make your own independent development company like Larian studios.
And at the very least Sony has a program to promote and support new development teams.
https://partners.playstation.net/

Rungar · July 15

Sadly the union issues were likely a large part of the cancellations and job losses. Ive seen this happen before. The union pushes its weight too far too often and the parent company just shuts it all down without a second thought. Not that im against people getting a fair wage and reasonable conditions, i just dont think the current climate give anyone much leverage these days.

DenverRalphy · July 15

Rungar wrote: »

Sadly the union issues were likely a large part of the cancellations and job losses. Ive seen this happen before. The union pushes its weight too far too often and the parent company just shuts it all down without a second thought. Not that im against people getting a fair wage and reasonable conditions, i just dont think the current climate give anyone much leverage these days.

The union had no bearing on the layoffs. Microsoft Gaming is just making massive cost cutting measures across the board. The Bethesda/Zenimax layoffs was just one of the victims. Xbox, Blizzard/Activision were hit hard too.

LalMirchi · July 15

Here' a link to the ZOS United-CWA's statement on Blue Sky:

https://bsky.app/profile/zosunited.bsky.social/post/3ltx2f4ffl22r

Here's the text of the statement:

Statement from ZeniMax Online Studios United-CWA (ZOSU-CWA) on Microsoft Layoffs

July 14, 2025

Earlier this month, Microsoft indefinitely shelved an unannounced MMORPG at ZeniMax Online Studios, a shock to the 222 ZOSU-CWA developers working on the project. It has been heartening and validating to see our game mentioned in the press and by the players that would have loved to see the results of our work.

Undoubtedly, a future has been stolen from many of us and our community will never experience an amazing game. However, despite discussions regarding the status of our employment, the fact is: we have not yet been laid off.

While we understand that for most of us something like a layoff is inevitable, last December both the teams behind The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) and the unannounced project voted overwhelmingly to form a union and establish ZeniMax Online Studios United-CWA (ZOSU-CWA). Worker-volunteers elected to represent the best interests of our union are currently bargaining with Microsoft for the benefit of our impacted teammates.

While Microsoft and ZOSU-CWA bargain over how we move forward following the project closure, the developers behind the unannounced project remain employees of ZeniMax Online Studios with full pay and benefits.

On July 2nd, our lives were upended without prior notice or communication from Microsoft leadership and without clear understanding about the status of our employment. In light of this, our union came together with urgency, gathering and distributing information and resources to our affected members.

Where Microsoft has failed to support the talented craftspeople who have generated billions in revenue, our union has stepped up to provide clarity and support.

It is true that a layoff may be in the future for some of our members. However, as a result of our organizing, we are able to ensure that those impacted will be able to depart with dignity.

More importantly, the work of ZOSU-CWA will continue so that of our remaining teammates — the stalwart developers of ESO — can follow in the footsteps of our colleagues across other departments and studios at Microsoft, including our union siblings at ZeniMax Workers United (ZWU-CWA). We look forward to other units who will soon ratify fair contracts that will guarantee the rights we all deserve.

In solidarity,

ZeniMax Online Studios United-CWA (ZOSU-CWA)

Unfortunately this is the the end result of selling the company to a mega corporation.

ZOS_GregoryV · July 15

Hi All,

We really appreciate everyone's care and discourse around this topic. We know this is an important topic and encourage the discussion on other platforms. However in an interest to keep the discussion here focused on ESO, we are going to close this thread down.

Thank you for your understanding,
The Elder Scrolls Online Team