Nearly two weeks after Microsoft announced its intent to lay off roughly 9,000 employees, yet another workplace massacre that saw deep cuts across the company's gaming division, the ZeniMax Online Studios United union says it is now bargaining with the company "over how we move forward" following the cancellation of a new MMO that was in development at the studio.
The massive layoffs, which Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced on July 2 by talking about how great it's all going for the gaming division, also resulted in multiple cancellations including Everwild, the Perfect Dark reboot, and a new MMO in development at ZeniMax Online Studios.
The union said that while "something like a layoff is inevitable" for much of its membership, the fact of its existence has helped soften the blow for impacted employees by sharing resources and information, and negotiating the best possible exit terms for people put out of work.
"Where Microsoft has failed to support the talented craftspeople who have generated billions in revenue, our union has stepped up to provide clarity and support," the union said. "It is true that a layoff may be in the future for some of our members. However, as a result of our organizing, we are able to ensure that those impacted will be able to depart with dignity."
It's a pretty clear sign that things aren't going well when the only upside of your situation is that you'll (hopefully) be allowed to "depart with dignity," but at this point that at least puts laid-off employees ahead of Microsoft itself. Xbox, which by rights should be dominating the videogame business, is instead a confused mess, while Microsoft is betting the house on AI, plowing tens of billions of dollars—a planned $80 billion in 2025 alone—into a blind pursuit of a MechaHitler of its very own.
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