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Asha Sharma was met with union protests when she visited Bethesda

A rat called Scabby was greeting her and the lawn outside the office was filled with flags representing people who had lost their jobs.
Jonas Mäki Editor Sweden 12 August 2026

Xbox executive Asha Sharma recently revealed she had the chance to check out The Elder Scrolls VI, a game she believes looks set to live up to fans' expectations. But when she visited Bethesda to check out the studio and its ongoing projects, she received anything but a warm welcome.

The Communications Workers of America Union (CWA) was protesting loudly against the massive layoffs carried out by Microsoft, and had set up a large inflatable rat in front of Bethesda and planted red flags in the lawn, one for each person laid off.

The Verge editor Tom Warren shared photos of the scene via Threads, which you can check out below.

https://www.threads.com/@tomwarrenuk/post/Db71VnXl82G

Editor Sweden Jonas Mäki has written for Gamereactor since 2002, becoming an editor in 2007. He covers the video game industry across news, releases and the business side, with a particular interest in sales figures and where the industry is heading.
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