Microsoft Shut Down Bethesda's Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall Studios
Microsoft carried out layoffs at Bethesda-owned studios, while closing several of them, including the developers of Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall.
IGN has received information indicating the closure of several Bethesda studios, including: Arkane Austin - the devs of Redfall - as well as Tango Gameworks, responsible for the highly rated Hi-Fi Rush.
More layoffs in the gaming industry
In an email sent to employees by the CEO of Xbox Game Studios - Matt Booty - we read:
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.
Among the studies that will be closed are:
- Arkane Austin - it was also announced that work on Redfall had been completed and that compensation would be provided to players who bought the Hero Pass;
- Alpha Dog Games;
- Tango Gameworks;
- Roundhouse Games - in this case, there will be a merger with ZeniMax Online Studios.
Some of the employees will be transferred to other departments, and the rest will have to say goodbye to their jobs. The company ensures that it will offer complete support and proper benefits to all. It also notes that these changes don't reflect the skills of those affected by layoffs, the number of which, for now, is unknown.
Dinga Bakaba - the CEO of Arkane Lyon (not to be confused with the closed Arkane Austin) - didn't spare words on this subject. In a series of posts on X he strongly criticized the cuts, calling them "absolutely terrible."
This is another report of large-scale layoffs in the gaming sector, including more within Microsoft's workforce. Let's remind that in January, the giant from Redmond laid off 1900 people, some of whom were also employees of Bethesda.
