ZeniMax Online Studios, the developer behind The Elder Scrolls Online, has stated that its current team size is comparable to what it was between 2015 and 2018. This period predates the studio's staffing up for the now-canceled MMO project codenamed Blackbird. The assertion echoes a recent statement from id Software, which also claimed to have returned to a headcount similar to that of its Doom (2016) development era following recent layoffs.
Sources within ZeniMax Online Studios, including Associate Design Director Jason Barnes and Associate Director of Community Management Jessica Folsom, conveyed this information to fans at the Elder Scrolls Online Tavern event in Hesse, Germany. According to their statements, relayed via UESP Discord moderator Baratron, the studio's current size matches that during the development of the acclaimed Wrothgar and Summerset downloadable content expansions, released in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
Earlier this month, id Software commented on X that its team today is approximately the size it was when developing Doom (2016). WARN Act filings indicate that ZeniMax Online Studios laid off 213 employees, while id Software saw 136 employees depart. ZeniMax also made a separate layoff of 62 individuals in 2025 following the cancellation of Blackbird.
While acknowledging that layoffs are difficult for all involved, including players, developers suggest that this reduction in headcount does not necessarily signal an end to new content or a shift to maintenance mode for The Elder Scrolls Online. The developers' statements aim to counter narratives that might suggest a decline for the studio.
However, the commentary raises concerns about the admission of undoing a decade of studio growth. Even if headcount figures are similar on paper, the environment within a studio that has experienced significant layoffs can differ drastically from one that has been expanding. The individuals let go were hired for specific reasons, and the landscape of game development has evolved considerably over the past ten years.
Past waves of layoffs at other studios, such as Bungie and BioWare, have not demonstrably improved output or efficiency, despite reaching headcounts reminiscent of their earlier, highly successful periods. This perspective suggests that simply returning to a previous team size may not automatically restore a studio's former capabilities or creative output.