microsoft
Sea of Thieves talks about the impact of layoffs at Rare as Season 16’s third episode kicks off today
Normally the developer update videos that come out of Sea of Thieves are focused solely on the things coming to the horizon of the...
Zenimax Online Studios union reaffirms support for Blackbird devs as workers roast Xbox execs over AI slop
The splash damage from Microsoft's decision to gut its games division, especially the developers behind Zenimax Online Studios' formerly in-development MMO Project Blackbird, is...
Sea of Thieves details its updated seasonal content cadence and custom server subscriptions
With the impact of Microsoft's latest layoff round and the cancellation of Rare Ltd's Everwild, there was likely a lot of trepidation and concern...
The Daily Grind: Would you have played ZeniMax’s MMO Blackbird?
Over the last week, we've been regaled with leaks from devs on or associated with the Project Blackbird team that was laid off During...
Elder Scrolls Online celebrates last April’s birthday by selling you a $10 anniversary pack
It's tradition in MMORPGs for developers to grant players gifts on the occasion of its birthday, but Elder Scrolls Online would prefer you give...
Massively OP Podcast Episode 525: Microsoftpocalypse
Justin and Bree discuss Microsoft's layoff binge, Project Blackbird, Warcraft Rumble, the fate of the MMORPG genre, Ship of Heroes' launch plan, John Smedley's Reaper Actual, and Guild Wars 2's elite spec teases, with adventures in World of Warcraft, WoW Classic, and Palia.
Insiders detail gameplay for Blackbird, the ‘f’ing incredible’ Zenimax MMO that Microsoft killed off
The 9,000 workers shed from Microsoft's games division saw not only massive losses in terms of workers, the end of content updates for other...
Helldivers 2 is coming to the Xbox Series X|S in late August
No longer content with merely bringing democracy to armies of insectoid aliens, the eponymous military force of Helldivers 2 is now going to be bringing...
Elder Scrolls Online teases Feast of Shadows’ dungeons and U47, launching August 18
While ZeniMax Online Studios is currently reeling from the Microsoft-inflicted chaos of layoffs and the loss of a whole MMORPG those staffers have been...
Blizzard is putting Warcraft Rumble into maintenance mode following the Microsoft gaming purge
The Microsoft purge of 9100 people and a growing list of games live and in-development games continues to widen this evening. We'd thought maybe...
ZeniMax Online Studios president Matt Firor is ‘stepping away’ in the middle of Microsoft’s layoff binge
If you read this morning's Microsoft layoff news - that Microsoft is laying off more than 9000 more workers in addition to the 6000...
Microsoft just laid off 9000 more workers and canceled ZeniMax Online Studios’ in-dev MMORPG
We were expecting Microsoft layoffs today, but that doesn't make them any more pleasant or justified, and as you're about to find out, they...
Microsoft’s Xbox division faces the possibility of significant layoffs soon – again
"Microsoft" and "layoffs" are never strangers to each other in headlines, as the megacorp has been known to ruthlessly cull its worker base, presumably...
ZeniMax QA workers reach tentative contract agreement with Microsoft after nearly two years
We've been periodically reporting in on the efforts of ZeniMax Workers United-CWA - that's the union that represents QA workers who work on titles...
Microsoft lays off approximately 6000 workers after a sunny third quarter earnings report
Even if the company's funny line goes up and stock value swells, employee livelihoods are still not safe: Microsoft is putting another large group...
Overwatch devs join Communication Workers of America to officially form a ‘wall-to-wall’ union
The unionization movement across Blizzard's developers has expanded once more, this time across those who work on the hero shooter Overwatch. The Communication Workers...
Courts put an end to the FTC’s 2023 lawsuit against Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard
You'd be absolutely forgiven in assuming that all of the legal drama surrounding the 2023 Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard was done a while...
‘This is an injunction, not a negotiation’: Apple’s antics secure a fresh court victory for Epic Games
Surely the gaming commentariat has not forgotten the drawn-out popcorn drama that was the Epic v. Apple case, right? It was one of the...
MMO Business Roundup: Microsoft stonewalls ZeniMax union, Electronic Arts lays off hundreds
Welcome back to another quick roundup of some MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news of the week! It's business time in Hollis, Queens, but it's...
The Daily Grind: Do you feel bad about skipping new MMORPG launches?
Last week, when Microsoft and Bethsoft had the nerve to re-release The Elder Scrolls Oblivion for 50 smackaroos along with paid horse armor DLC...
