Recently, it's been reported that Xbox isn't happy with how long it's taken to get a new Elder Scrolls game. This surfaced again after the latest layoffs, with the company said to be pivoting ZeniMax and Bethesda's focus onto core IPs, like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout.

So, naturally, Xbox is reportedly going about this by laying off up to half of the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online. That is at least according to sources speaking to Kotaku, who say that the future of the MMO is uncertain as the team gets hit particularly badly in Xbox's layoffs.

ESO Season One Will Continue As Planned, But After That, The Future Is Uncertain

The sources told Kotaku that they are unsure how ESO can "continue to function with so few people remaining". Exact figures have not been confirmed, but it's claimed that "as much as half the development team" have lost their jobs.

This would line up with what we've heard elsewhere. It's also being reported that ZeniMax and Bethesda were hit hard, facing the "biggest cuts" across Xbox.

As for the immediate future, we have a slightly better idea of what is going to happen there. ESO's new seasonal updates will continue as planned as we enter Season One, but beyond that, plans will be "shifting".

"We want to take the time to evaluate the work in front of us and then lock down an updated schedule," says ESO community manager Jessica Folsom. "While we'd love to share a concrete details today [sic], stepping back to get our plans straight will let us come back to you with a clear timeline."

The obvious question to ask is how this lines up with Xbox seemingly wanting another Elder Scrolls game as soon as possible? ESO has kept things ticking along between releases, carrying the torch after Skyrim, and now, after Oblivion Remastered. For their efforts, they've been thanked with layoffs. That's not even touching on how, as a live service, ESO is poised to constantly bring some money in. It's unclear how it can do that now if there are only half the number of devs to work on it.

Xbox is yet to comment on what it wants from ESO going forward, and we're still waiting on exact figures of how many people on the team have been affected.

Elder Scrolls Online Like MMORPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 71/100 Critics Rec: 39% Released April 4, 2014 ESRB m Developer(s) ZeniMax Online Studios Publisher(s) Bethesda 6 Images Close
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