Leaked Xbox Memo Reveals Obsidian’s Fate Under Bethesda
The head of Bethesda said in a leaked company memo that Obsidian will retain its independence following a recent reorganization at Xbox.
Microsoft has announced hundreds of layoffs as part of a company-wide reorganization. According to Polygon, 268 developers were affected by the latest round of job cuts, which follows an earlier announcement of 1,600 layoffs in July. The reorganization involves merging several studios, with some notable changes including Halo being moved under Activision.
As part of this reorganization, Obsidian Entertainment has been absorbed into Bethesda. IGN reports that Obsidian, known for games such as Grounded, The Outer Worlds, and Avowed, will retain its leadership and identity despite the change. Bethesda boss Jill Braff issued a memo to staff reassuring them that Obsidian would remain "distinct".
Obsidian is currently working on a Fallout game, and according to IGN, Bethesda Game Studios will "continue to lead the Fallout franchise". The move to bring Obsidian into the Bethesda fold had raised concerns that Obsidian might be relegated to support studio status, but Braff's memo appears to alleviate those fears.
Brief written by urgent.news from Polygon, IGN — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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