The Fallout of Layoffs in Gaming: A Designer’s Heartfelt Plea

The Heavy Toll of Layoffs in Gaming

In a shocking turn of events, the gaming industry has crumbled under the weight of some serious layoffs at Xbox, leaving many dev teams feeling like they’ve just watched their last epic raid go terribly wrong. While some folks are raising a cheer because no studios officially shut down, the aftermath has left veteran teams spinning like they’re caught in a never-ending loading screen.

One ex-designer from Elder Scrolls Online took to social media with a heart-wrenching rant, spilling the beans on the emotional baggage this shake-up has left behind. Andrew Young, who spent a solid 12 years at ZeniMax Online Studios, expressed pure frustration over the loss of so many talented people and the changes that now loom over the game.

A Game with an Identity Crisis

Let’s be honest, Elder Scrolls Online has had quite the rollercoaster ride since its debut in 2014. It didn’t exactly grab players with a warm hug right off the bat. Think awkward family reunions—yeah, that kind of not-so-great impression. Sure, it tried to turn things around with the Tamriel Unlimited update, but it always felt like the shy relative stuck in the corner at family gatherings, overshadowed by big names like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV.

Things took a turn for the worse in 2025, when the game’s director, Matt Firor—who was basically the ringmaster since the studio’s inception—decided to jump ship straight into Microsoft’s gale-force layoffs. Talk about adding salt to an already bruised wound! This prompted a closing curtain on what was supposed to be the next big MMO under the name Project Blackbird, which is