Unionized staff at Bethesda and its associated studios are organizing a protest march to express their anger and concern over recent layoffs that have significantly impacted studios like Zenimax Online Studios and id Software. The Bethesda Game Studios Union (OneBGS) announced the "Save Our Devs March" set for Wednesday, July 15th, aiming to draw attention to what they describe as a "stressful annual routine" for Microsoft-owned studios.
The union stated that the company "wants us to accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear. We won’t let that happen." The planned demonstration intends to show management that the developers are unified and will not passively accept the dismissals. Organizers hope the action will ensure their colleagues are properly supported and deter future layoff events.
These layoffs follow a pattern of studio closures and staff reductions at Xbox, with recent examples including the shutdown of studios responsible for critically acclaimed titles. The union's statement emphasizes the desire to protect not only those laid off but also the morale and security of the remaining employees, highlighting the potential for talent loss if developers feel their futures are uncertain. The scale of the recent workforce reduction has been described as particularly damaging, affecting long-term employees and critical teams like accessibility leadership.