Large-scale layoffs at Microsoft also affected the developers of The Elder Scrolls Online. In a conversation with PCGamesN, game director of Zenimax studio Rich Lambert said that it was an extremely emotional time for him:
«Among those fired were friends and colleagues with whom I personally worked for 10–15 years, and we lost them. I had to go through something like a grieving process.»
Nevertheless, work on The Elder Scrolls Online continues — the team has big plans:
«However, in the end, we are still committed to our community, the game, and everyone who is still here, and we must move forward, no matter how difficult it may be. That's what the studio is focused on: we want ESO to become a thirty-year MMORPG.»
Lambert moved to a higher management position, and the management of TESO was transferred to Nick Jacomini, the long-time director of product management:
«Nick is here to handle the day-to-day work, but I'm still involved in the process — it's my brainchild. But now I can look at things at the studio level and at the level of [long-term issues], and it's all new to me. This is a new challenge, and it's very, very exciting. Stepping back turned out to be much harder than I thought, but I'm excited to see how Nick performs and how the team moves forward.»