Here Are the Bethesda Companies Affected by the Microsoft Layoffs and Their IP

On the 7th of May 2024, the newest hit of company layoffs at videogame companies arrived once again, and this time, it came to the beloved Microsoft-acquired Bethesda. In an attempt to refocus and reprioritise their approach to videogame development, IP advancement, new IP creation, and continuing to grow their ongoing titles like Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online, Microsoft has made the decision to close four studios, with some of the employees being integrated whilst other jobs being made redundant.

Some of the studios come as an absolute shock, as the Hi-Fi RUSH developer Tango Gameworks has been closed despite its massively successful, multi-platform launch. We'll be taking a closer look at all of the affected companies and which IP it affects overall.

Arkane Austin: Arkane Austin is part of the Arkane Studios umbrella. Though not to be confused among the two, Arkane Austin (the one closing) is responsible for the release of Prey and Redfall, contrariwise to the titles developed by Arkane Lyon, which are Dishonored, DEATHLOOP, and even the upcoming Marvel's Blade.

Alpha Dog Games: Bethesda's collaboration with Alpha Dog Games (misspelt as Alpha Dog Studios in the internal e-mail) started in 2023 with the release of the mobile-exclusive Mighty DOOM, which was released on iOS and Android devices. With the closure of this studio, the aforementioned title will be sunset on the 7th of August alongside removing the capability to make in-game purchases.

Tango Gameworks: Tango Gameworks is best recognised for their surprise hit of last year, Hi-Fi RUSH, where the title with little-to-no marketing hit the world by storm and made critics all over the world fall in love with it — even we loved it! Unfortunately, with Tango Gameworks being closed off, that means that titles like The Evil Within franchise, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Hero Dice, and even Hi-Fi RUSH will be affected.

Roundhouse Games: formerly known as Human Head Studios, it's not entirely clear what Roundhouse Games has done for Bethesda's titles, though they did assist with the release of Prey and have been working under ZeniMax ever since the merger. This team will now be moving to ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS) to work on The Elder Scrolls Online.

Those are all of the companies affected by the Bethesda layoffs. Many great franchises have been laid to rest with these studio closures, and it has hit the videogame industry as a shocker. Which title hurts you most? Let us know in the comments below.