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Xbox CEO Praises Elder Scrolls VI Playthrough Amid Layoff Protests

8/12/2026

35 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Asha Sharma Praises

Asha Sharma, Xbox CEO, posted on August 11 that she saw a playthrough of The Elder Scrolls VI and praised its scale and story.
A protest at Bethesda’s Rockville studio displayed an inflatable rat and red flags over the layoff of 1,600 staff.
Todd Howard said the game will use Bethesda’s Creation Engine 3, not Starfield’s engine.
Xbox and Bethesda have given no release date, platform, or setting details for The Elder Scrolls VI.

Summary

Chris Hays Warns

Chris Hays warned that delivering The Elder Scrolls VI with only half the original staff is impossible.
He said morale at id Software is at its lowest after a 1,600-person layoff wave and pending cuts.
Analysts note Microsoft relies on legacy franchises like Elder Scrolls and Doom to mask staffing shortfalls, doubting the original development timeline.

History

Historical Context

Large-scale layoffs have become a recurring pattern in the games industry. EA cut 775 jobs in March 2023 and eliminated 50 BioWare roles in August 2023, while Microsoft’s Xbox division announced a 1,600-person reduction at Bethesda and id Software today, echoing earlier EA cuts that began with a 1,500-employee layoff in 2009. Such cuts raise doubts about the timely delivery of flagship franchises like The Elder Scrolls VI.

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Asha Sharma Praises

Asha Sharma, Xbox CEO, posted on August 11 that she saw a playthrough of The Elder Scrolls VI and praised its scale and story.
A protest at Bethesda’s Rockville studio displayed an inflatable rat and red flags over the layoff of 1,600 staff.
Todd Howard said the game will use Bethesda’s Creation Engine 3, not Starfield’s engine.
Xbox and Bethesda have given no release date, platform, or setting details for The Elder Scrolls VI.

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