Microsoft announced internally that it will be closing four studios that are branches of ZeniMax's Bethesda. This includes Arkane Austin (Dishonoured, Prey, Redfall), Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Hi-Fi RUSH), and Alpha Dog Games (Mighty Doom) which will be shut down completely. With that said, some folks from Arkane Austin will be moving to ZeniMax Online Studios.
Quote From Geoff Keighley Xbox today announced internally it is closing four Bethesda studios, three years after acquiring the company - Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks (creators of TGA winner Hi-Fi Rush), Alpha Dog and Roundhouse.
Roundhouse Studios, the successor to Human Head Studios which never released any titles but has "played a key role in many of our recent game launches" , is being absorbed into ZeniMax Online Studios. They will be working on The Elder Scrolls Online.
Redfall Development Ceases
Arkane announced on Twitter that refunds will be available for anyone that purchased the Hero Pass as a part of the Bite Back Edition or the premium Bite Back upgrade. The game will remain online for people to play.
Mighty Doom Closes August 7
Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, announced internally an end date for Mighty Doom.
Quote From Matt Booty Mighty Doom will be sunset on August 7 and we will be turning off the ability for players to make any purchases in the game.
Hi-Fi RUSH Remains Playable
A statement was issued on Twitter by Tango Gameworks that Hi-Fi RUSH and their previous titles would remain playable.
Matt Booty's Internal Email
This email was verified by IGN.
Quote From Matt Booty Today I’m sharing changes we are making to our Bethesda and ZeniMax teams. These changes are grounded in prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds which you have nurtured over many decades.
To double down on these franchises and invest to build new ones requires us to look across the business to identify the opportunities that are best positioned for success. This reprioritization of titles and resources means a few teams will be realigned to others and that some of our colleagues will be leaving us.
Here are the changes going into effect:
Arkane Austin – This studio will close with some members of the team joining other studios to work on projects across Bethesda. Arkane Austin has a history of making impactful and innovative games and it is a pedigree that everyone should be proud of. Redfall’s previous update will be its last as we end all development on the game. The game and its servers will remain online for players to enjoy and we will provide make-good offers to players who purchased the Hero DLC.
Alpha Dog Studios – This studio will also close. We appreciate the team’s creativity in bringing Doom to new players. Mighty Doom will be sunset on August 7 and we will be turning off the ability for players to make any purchases in the game.
Tango Gameworks – Tango Gameworks will also close. We are thankful for their contributions to Bethesda and players around the world. Hi-Fi Rush will continue to be available to players on the platforms it is today.
Roundhouse Games – The team at Roundhouse Games will be joining ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS). Roundhouse has played a key role in many of our recent game launches and bringing them into ZOS to work on The Elder Scrolls Online will mean we can do even more to grow the world that millions of players call home.
With this consolidation of our Bethesda studio teams, so that we can invest more deeply in our portfolio of games and new IP, a small number of roles across select Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will also be eliminated.
Those whose roles will be impacted will be notified today, and we ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with respect and compassion. We will provide our full support to those who are impacted in today’s notifications and through their transitions, including severance benefits informed by local laws.
These changes are not a reflection of the creativity and skill of the talented individuals at these teams or the risks they took to try new things. I acknowledge that these changes are also disruptive to the various support teams across ZeniMax and Bethesda that bring our games to market. We are making these tough decisions to create capacity to increase investment in other parts of our portfolio and focus on our priority games.
Bethesda remains one of the key pillars of Xbox with a strong portfolio of amazing games and thriving communities. As we look to the future, there is an impressive line-up of games on the horizon. In 2024 alone we have Starfield Shattered Space, Fallout 76 Skyline Valley, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, and The Elder Scrolls Online’s Golden Road. As we align our plans and resources to best set ourselves up for success in this complex and changing industry, our teams across Arkane Lyon, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, MachineGames, ZeniMax Online Studios and the Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will be well-positioned to build new IP, explore new game concepts, and expand on our existing franchises.
- Matt
The games industry continues to see large scale layoffs and as a gamer, that's disappointing. These megacorps that absorb great studios change games for the worse and when they aren't making more and more profit every quarter, they start slashing everything to make sure they get their bonuses. We won't even get into the companies that hire temporary workers to get through crunch and fire them upon the game's launch.
It's all a race to the bottom.
Comments
I feel sorry for the developers. Redfall flopped, but Hi-Fi Rush made it on to a lot of game of the year lists. And in the case of Redfall, it seems it was another victim of trend chasing (everything must be a multiplayer live service) instead of letting the studio do what it was good at (single player games with a strong story). Also it didn't help that it was released before it was properly finished. I hope the developers find a new workplace that respects their talent more.