Bethesda Employees Protest Microsoft Layoffs: 'Devastating' Impact on Game Development

Bethesda employees have staged new protests against Microsoft's mass layoffs in the gaming divisions. The 'Save Our Devs' events took place in nine cities across the US and Canada, organized by the One Bethesda Game Studio (OneBGS) union with support from the Communication Workers of America (CWA).

The protests occurred in familiar locations such as Redmond, Rockville, Austin, Minneapolis, and Albany. According to technical producer Nathan Han, the union proposed staff reduction methods to Microsoft in February but received no response for four months before the layoffs.

CWA lead character artist Alex Nguyen disputed claims that middle managers were primarily affected by the layoffs. Instead, he stated that employees directly involved in game development and release planning lost their jobs.

The morale among remaining Bethesda employees is reportedly at an all-time low, while union participants are experiencing a boost in morale. The CWA and its Canadian counterpart have filed complaints against Microsoft with the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over alleged 'coercive actions' and changes to employment contract terms.