Following the mass layoffs at Microsoft, ZeniMax employees have spoken out about the experience of working inside the company affected by around 9,000 people losing their jobs. ZeniMax was one of the Xbox studios hit hardest by the redundancies, with a game in development also cancelled at the studio.
Speaking to Game Developer, plenty of ZeniMax employees made their voices heard. "[It was] one of the worst days at a job I've ever had in my entire life," said current ZeniMax employee Page Branson. "It was so sad seeing people so distraught and confused and not knowing if they would have a job by the end of the day—or even if the layoffs were done by the end of the day."
"It's not okay. It wasn't normal. I don't care how many times they do it to try and make it seem normal—it's not. The way they do it is inhumane," said ZeniMax senior QA tester Autumn Mitchell.
The losses at ZeniMax apparently included people very important to the continuation and development of its key titles, namely The Elder Scrolls Online. Branson said that those left behind are trying to pick up the pieces as best they can, but it's clear morale is at an all-time low. There appears to be a clear disconnect between the leadership at Xbox and the people working on the games, according to these statements.