Elder Scrolls Online Team Reassures Fans: We’re Still the Same Size as When We Created Popular DLC

Following last week’s significant layoffs at Xbox, which impacted over 1,000 employees, many fans of Elder Scrolls Online are understandably anxious about the MMORPG’s future. However, during a recent fan event, two directors from the game reassured a prominent community member that the game is not entering maintenance mode. They noted that the development team has returned to the same size it was during the launch of the beloved Wrothgar and Summerset expansions.

At the ESO Tavern event in Germany, Baratron, an admin from the Elder Scrolls wiki Discord and a well-known ESO player, engaged with some of the remaining developers after the layoffs. Despite the significant reduction in the Zenimax Online team, Baratron reported that the leads he spoke with expressed optimism about the game’s future.

“Some good news for a change,” Baratron shared on Discord. “This is important. According to both Jason Barnes (Associate Design Director) and Jessica Folsom (Associate Director of Community Management), Zenimax Online Studios is now at the same size as it was when they created both Wrothgar and Summerset, which are both highly acclaimed DLCs. So while the layoffs are extremely upsetting for everyone involved, including players, this does not necessarily mean the end of new content or that the game is going into maintenance mode.”

Baratron described the atmosphere at the fan event as somber but not hopeless. He mentioned that ESO game director Nick Giacomini and studio executive producer Susan Kath were absent because they are focused on developing a new, updated roadmap. “It really is not the end yet,” he stated.

On the ESO forums, community manager Kevin Gbolie echoed Baratron’s sentiments, acknowledging the challenging week for the studio.

“The plan is still to deliver great content, and we hope to have an update soon,” Gbolie said. “We appreciate everyone’s kind words and concern for the studio and those affected by the layoffs.”

Id Software also provided a similar update last week, indicating that after the layoffs—part of a significant restructuring under new Xbox leadership—the studio behind Doom is now the same size it was when they released Doom (2016). While it may be true that Zenimax Online and Id are back to their previous headcounts, the reality remains that many talented individuals lost their jobs, and their absence will be felt. The same number of developers does not equate to the same level of experience and guidance, which could impact future projects.