The large-scale Xbox restructuring continues to affect the company's internal studios. After a wave of layoffs that affected almost all divisions of Microsoft's gaming business, Bethesda Game Studios employees began to express concerns about the future of The Elder Scrolls VI.
Developers who remained at Bethesda after the cuts fear that the layoffs could lead to an even greater delay in the project's development. The main reason for concern is the possible replacement of experienced employees with cheaper contract labor who are not familiar with Bethesda's proprietary tools.
According to one of the developers, the team had long been working on The Elder Scrolls 6 with great enthusiasm, but recent events have seriously affected the morale of the employees.
We were all very excited about TES 6, and what happened greatly affected the team's mood. We were already working at our limit, and now we are worried that development will be delayed even further.
Another employee noted that even if new people are hired to replace the laid-off specialists, they will require extensive training.
There are fears that we will be replaced by cheaper contract labor. Our tools are proprietary Bethesda developments, and new employees will need time to master them. This will lead to additional delays, and the remaining team will likely have to work overtime to catch up with the schedule.