ZeniMax workers rally after Microsoft cuts, seeking severance and health benefits

Former and current ZeniMax workers, joined by supporters, rallied outside ZeniMax offices in the U.S. and Canada after Microsoft’s latest layoffs. The July 16 r/Games post linked Aftermath’s report from the Save Our Devs March, organized with the Communications Workers of America.

The worker demands were specific: better severance, better health benefits, and privileged consideration for future openings for laid-off staff. Aftermath’s Rockville report describes the rally as both a labor action and a response to uncertainty for people who lost jobs and for those still inside studios facing more cuts.

The story matters to players because the workers named in the report are tied to games and systems people still play. The article references staff with credits or work history across Fallout 76, Starfield, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, Deathloop, Skyrim, Fallout: London, and Fallout 76’s Atlantic City DLC. One former quest designer said she had been working on a large piece of content for one of the studio’s current projects before being laid off.

Aftermath also reports that Microsoft has already made half of a targeted 3,200 cuts, with 1,600 more still to come. For players following Bethesda and ZeniMax Online Studios, the practical watch points are project schedules, live-service support, and whether remaining teams can keep the same scope after the latest reductions. Sources: Aftermath, r/Games.