Tag: Zenimax
Report Xbox Execs Were 'Blown Away' By Cancelled ZeniMax Game Earlier This Year
"Employees were stunned to see it get caught up"
Yesterday, one of the games that was reported to be cancelled as part of the Xbox layoffs was an unannounced ZeniMax Online Studios project, and according to a new report, employees were "stunned" to see it get shut down. This is coming from Jason Schreier at Bloomberg, who says the game (codenamed...
Report Multiple Industry Veterans To Leave Xbox Studios Amidst Layoffs
Including big departures at Rare and ZeniMax Online Studios
The bad news about today's Xbox layoffs isn't over just yet, as some major names at multiple Xbox studios are said to be leaving their positions - either coincidentally or as a result of what we've been hearing all afternoon. Firstly, Zenimax Online Studios president Matt Frior is...
News Xbox Layoffs Begin As Phil Spencer Shares Internal Microsoft Gaming Update
"Today we are sharing decisions that will impact colleagues"
Brace yourselves, folks - Microsoft is in the midst of announcing another round of layoffs across multiple Xbox divisions. For now, Activision's King team and some of Bethesda's ZeniMax marketing team are seemingly affected, with Phil Spencer addressing impacted employees in a lengthy...
News Microsoft Signs 'Historic Tentative Agreement' With QA Devs At Bethesda
"In a first for the video game industry..."
The Communication Workers of America (CWA) has announced that unionized QA developers at Bethesda owner ZeniMax have signed a "historic tentative contract agreement" with Microsoft, after "nearly two years" of negotiation. The deal — which is still being finalised with it only being 'tentative' at this...
News Microsoft Issues Statement As 'Hundreds' Of ZeniMax Workers Go On Strike
A one-day strike across four locations
Yesterday was a turbulent day in the world of ZeniMax Media, as hundreds of unionised workers at the company went on strike against Microsoft at four different locations in Maryland and Texas. As reported by IGN, this involves people who work on the likes of DOOM, Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, and is related...
News Yes, Xbox Game Pass Hit 'Hi-Fi RUSH' Is Now Tango Gameworks' Sole IP
"Krafton is acquiring only the Hi-Fi Rush IP"
Earlier this week, we got some surprise news about the Hi-Fi RUSH developer Tango Gameworks being resurrected by the South Korean company Krafton - known for publishing titles like PUBG. In the announcement, it was mentioned how this deal included the rights to the developer's
News Xbox's Hi-Fi RUSH Studio Tango Gameworks Revived, Acquired By PUBG Publisher
Includes IP rights and expansion
Update: A Microsoft spokesperson has shared an official statement, reiterating how thre is "no impact" to the existing catalog of Tango games (via Windows Central): "We’re working with Krafton to enable the team at Tango Gameworks to continue to build games together and we look forward to playing their next great...
News Next Month, It'll Be Four Years Since Xbox Acquired Bethesda
Where does the time go?!
Over the last few years, we've had plenty to write about regarding Microsoft's complex and drawn out purchase of Activision Blizzard, but, remember when things were much simpler? Back in 2020, when a buyout of ActiBlizz would have been a mere fever dream, Xbox acquired ZeniMax Media; the parent company of Bethesda. Well,...
News Bethesda Developers Now Have Stronger Employee Rights Within Microsoft
Brand new union
Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Studios, has today announced that its workers now have stronger rights within Xbox - as Microsoft strikes a 'labour neutrality agreement' with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The Xbox owner first entered into such an agreement way back in summer 2022, amidst the whirlwind of Activision...
Guide Xbox And Microsoft Reveal Full GDC 2024 Schedule
"Microsoft and Xbox are here to help power your games "
The 2024 Game Developer Conference will take place next month in March and as part of this, both Microsoft and the Xbox team will be there to "engage and empower" developers, publishers as well as technology partners across the globe. "Our message is simple: Microsoft and Xbox are here to...
News Elder Scrolls Online Creator ZeniMax Working On Huge New IP
Four and a half years in the making
The Microsoft-owned company ZeniMax - aka the parent of Bethesda and perhaps best known for its massive multiplayer title The Elder Scrolls Online - reportedly has a new IP in the works that's apparently had a lot of time and money invested in it. During an appearance on the Product Builders YouTube podcast last...
News Game-Changing Elder Scrolls Online Update Sparks Huge Community Backlash
And a spicy dev response
We can't say we're huge Elder Scrolls Online players here at Pure Xbox (in fact, this writer hasn't dropped into Bethesda's huge MMO since way back at launch), however, users who are more engrained in the ESO community don't seem too pleased about the game's latest update. Update 35, which is currently in its PTS preview...
News Former Tango Gameworks Creative Director Opens Small Indie Studio
One to watch
Former Tango Gameworks creative director and art director, Ikumi Nakamura, has finally revealed her future within the video game industry now that she's moved on from the GhostWire: Tokyo developer. Her departure, as you might recall, followed just three months after her famous appearance at E3 2019. During a mini-documentary, where...
News ZeniMax’s Board Of Directors Has Been Dissolved Following Microsoft's Acquisition
As confirmed by Bethesda's Pete Hines
Microsoft officially obtained ZeniMax Media last week, which saw companies such as Bethesda now directly under the company’s control. Following that huge acquisition, some big changes are already beginning to be made, as ZeniMax’s board of directors has now officially been dissolved. The board was made up...
News Microsoft's Acquisition Of Bethesda's Parent Company Nears Completion
Update: The EU has approved the deal
Update (Mon 8th Mar, 2021 10:30 GMT): We're almost there! The EU has also approved the deal without conditions (thanks The Verge), stating that it "does not raise serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market." We're now just waiting on Microsoft to make an announcement that the deal has fully...
News Insider Advises What To Expect From Rumoured Xbox Bethesda Event
"I'm pretty sure this is how it's going to happen"
GamesBeat journalist and reliable industry insider Jeff Grubb has been talking more about the rumoured upcoming Xbox Bethesda event over the past couple of days, advising what fans should expect from the show. Grubb confirmed on the latest episode of the GamesBeat Decides podcast that from what he...
News Google Stadia's Studio Closures Were Influenced By Xbox, Claims Report
And specifically the Bethesda acquisition
The team behind the cloud-based Google Stadia recently made the announcement that they were closing their internal first-party studios, and apparently, Microsoft's "buying spree" and acquisition of ZeniMax Media were reasons for this. According to a report from Kota
News ZeniMax Online Studios Is On A Hiring Spree For Multiple Unannounced Projects
And The Elder Scrolls Online
Microsoft is deep in the midst of trying to get its acquisition of ZeniMax Media over the line, and one of its development teams, ZeniMax Online Studios, clearly has a lot of big plans for the future. As you can see from the tweet below, the studio has multiple slots open for not only The Elder Scrolls Online, but...
