The Elder Scrolls Online director Matt Firor, who helped launch ZeniMax Online Studios in 2007, is leaving the company

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 10: Matt Firor, Game Designer and Producer, speaks about 'Elder Scrolls Online' during the Bethesda E3 conference at the Event Deck at LA Live on June 10, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. The E3 Game Conference begins on Tuesday June 12. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Matt Firor, president of ZeniMax Online Studios and game director of The Elder Scrolls Online, has announced that he is leaving the company.

"After more than 18 years leading ZeniMax Online Studios, I'll be stepping away later this month," says a message attributed to Firor on the official TESO X account. "The studio and The Elder Scrolls Online will be in great hands under the direction of new Studio Head Jo Burba, along with Executive Producer Susan Kath and Game Director Rich Lambert.

"Together, this leadership team has spearheaded many of ESO's biggest ideas and expansions and will continue to make this game something we're all proud of. While I won't be working on the game anymore, I will be cheering you on and adding to the thousands of hours I've already spent in-game. There are many more stories to be told, adventures to be had, and I know this amazing community will carry that shared legacy and success forwards."

Firor's departure comes just hours after Microsoft announced the layoff of roughly 9,000 employees company wide, which includes deep cuts to numerous Xbox game studios and the closure of The Initiative, the studio that was working on the now-cancelled Perfect Dark reboot, as well as the cancellation of Rare's Everwild project. An all-new MMO in development at ZeniMax Online Studios, which has been in the works since 2018, was also cancelled today, and an unknown number of studio employees have been let go.

Please read this update from ZOS president, Matt Firor. — (Image credit: ZeniMax Online Studios (Twitter))

A justification for this latest round of awfulness hasn't been provided, and in fact Xbox boss Phil Spencer said in an incredibly ill-conceived memo to employees today that "we have more players, games, and gaming hours than ever before," and that "our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger."

It's worth noting, however, that Microsoft president Brad Smith said in January that the company was aiming to spend $80 billion "to build out AI-enabled datacenters to train AI models and deploy AI" in its 2025 fiscal year, and that money has to come from somewhere.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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