Good evening! Saturday night kicks off with hot news from gaming, crypto, and AI. July 2026 became a dark month for Microsoft and its Xbox Game Studios subsidiaries. According to IGN reports, a wave of massive layoffs has hit various Xbox Game Studios, with Bethesda studio taking the biggest blow. Meanwhile, massive shifts are occurring on Wall Street and social platforms.
Earthquake at Xbox: Massive Layoffs and the Uncertain Future of Elder Scrolls 6 July 2026 became a dark month for Microsoft and its Xbox Game Studios subsidiaries. According to IGN reports, a wave of massive
layoffs has hit various Xbox Game Studios, with Bethesda studio taking the biggest blow. These layoffs have raised serious concerns about the future of major games like Elder Scrolls 6. Based on published
information, approximately 350 employees from Bethesda and affiliated studios have been laid off. This workforce reduction includes programmers, designers, artists, and even parts of the marketing team.
Interestingly, these layoffs occurred precisely when Elder Scrolls 6 was supposed to enter its intensive development phase. [IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER_1] Todd Howard, Bethesda's executive director, wrote in an
internal email that leaked: "This is one of the hardest days of my professional career. We had to make difficult decisions to keep the studio on the right path. Unfortunately, these decisions include parting
with some of our excellent colleagues." Why Did This Happen? Economic and Strategic Roots The reasons for these layoffs are multiple. First, Starfield, released in 2023, despite massive hype, failed to
meet Microsoft's financial expectations. The game had good sales but not to the extent Microsoft expected. Second, Microsoft itself is under pressure from shareholders to reduce costs and increase profitability.
Third, the gaming industry in 2026 is facing an economic recession. AAA game sales have declined, and companies are reviewing their development budgets. Fourth, Microsoft is shifting its strategy toward
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