According to one source, around 200 people were laid off across Bethesda Studios yesterday following the closure of Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, and Alpha Dog Games. Roundhouse Games was merged into Zenimax Online Studios. What is not clear is whether the closure and layoffs were part of the 1900 layoffs Microsoft announced in January for its gaming division.
The closure of the studios is coming on the heels of Microsoft’s announcement of approximately $7.11 billion from its gaming division for the most recent fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2023. The closure of Arkane Austin is believed to be a subtle message on what would happen to Arkane Lyon if Marvel’s Blade flops.
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According to unverified reports, the closure affected studios that failed to meet Microsoft’s expectations in their projects—and we would want to believe that the expectations were financial, otherwise, the horrific decision would not have impacted the highly beloved Hi-Fi Rush maker.
At the time of writing, no account linked to Tango Gameworks on LinkedIn has made a post about either being laid off or reassigned to another project. However, GameBaba Universe spotted a couple of employees at the studio who have updated their LinkedIn profile to include the infamous green #OPENTOWORK badge.
Laid-off employees in Arkane Austin need your help
Several posts have been made by former employees of the now-defunct Arkane Austin soliciting the help of their connections to find new roles. As we mentioned earlier, the number of employees let go from the studio was not disclosed.
“Thank you very much for all the heartwarming messages I received today!” wrote level artist Lilian Chow on LinkedIn. “Like others from Arkane Austin, I am impacted by the closure of the studio. My last day will be this Friday. I will be looking for a new senior-level artist role.
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“I’m on the lookout for a new role and would really appreciate your support after the layoffs at Arkane Studios this morning,” wrote open-world designer Rachel.
Senior operations manager Mary Quin Moore wrote, “After 15 years, my chapter at Arkane Studios in Austin has come to an abrupt close. I had the opportunity to work with amazing people and make some of the best games out there. I am absolutely heartbroken over Arkane Austin’s doors closing, but looking forward to what the future holds for me.”
Former Alpha Dog Games employees need your help
Several former employees of Alpha Dog Games have also made posts about being laid off. Like every other laid-off employee, they need the help of their connections to find a new home for their skills. We could almost read the suppressed emotions in some of the posts.
“For the last 3.5 years, I’ve had the honor of working with an amazing team at Alpha Dog Games,” wrote sound designer Joshua Richardson on LinkedIn. “Unfortunately, Microsoft has shuttered the studio. I’m on the lookout for a new role and would really appreciate your support. I’m also happy to refer any of my talented coworkers from the Alpha Dog team.
Server programmer Danylo Akinfiiev wrote, “Today’s a real bummer—Zenimax/Microsoft just axed 4 of their studios, including the one I worked at. So, I’m all ears for new opportunities.”
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“Hi all, unfortunately, our studio was impacted by the Microsoft layoffs and has been shut down,” wrote concept artist Zivin Solto Fortin. “It’s been an amazing two years working together with the team at Alpha Dog Games and I wish everyone at the studio the best of luck.”
“Unfortunate, this morning Alpha Dog was closed,” wrote programmer Kira Dinan. “Had a great time getting into the industry with everyone there. While right now it’s been a tough day, hopefully it leads to something good.”
A couple of other former Alpha Dog employees including senior programmer Greg King, associate art director Cody Allen-Romkey, and game director Lee Ing all posted about their layoff on LinkedIn.
Our heart goes out to everyone impacted directly and indirectly by Microsoft’s studio closures. GameBaba Universe left a link to the profiles of all the people mentioned in this post to make it easy for anyone who may have open roles to easily reach them.
