Earlier this week, Xbox shut down four Bethesda studios, including Redfall developer Arcane Austin and Tango Gameworks, the company behind last year’s Hi-Fi Rush. While each of the four affected studios, including Mighty Dome developer Alpha Dog Games and Bethesda support studio Roundhouse Games, released a statement about the shutdown, Xbox remained silent.
However, four days later, Bloomberg’s Dina Bass interviewed Xbox president Sarah Bond and asked her about Bethesda’s closure, with Bond citing a desire to keep Xbox’s business healthy in the long term, even through difficult transition periods. even so.
Here is what Bond said:
“It’s always extraordinarily difficult when you have to make those kinds of decisions. I’ll go back to what I was saying about the industry, and when we look at these underlying trends, we We feel a deep responsibility to ensure that the games we make, the devices we build, the services we offer, even when the industry isn’t growing and when you’re in transition. going through and the news we announced earlier this week is the result of making sure the business is healthy for the long term.
“Added to that, our commitment to having our own studios and working with partners for games big and small – we’re a platform where you can play. [Grand Theft Auto], but you can also play Palworld, or you can play Call of Duty or you can play Pentiment, it doesn’t change. And frankly, our commitment to Bethesda and the role it plays is Xbox and everything we do.
“It’s been really awesome. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to check it out. The Fallout TV show was on Amazon, and it’s great to see people love that universe, but Also what he’s done. For the games themselves, and people are looking for everything in it coming later this year from Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. But now For us and our teams, our focus is on what we can do to support them during this difficult transition.”
The boss then asks Bond specifically about the closure of Tango Gameworks after the Hi-Fi rush, through which Xbox’s own recognized metrics, was a huge success. Bond’s response here was less straightforward – you can read it in full below:
“One of the things I really love about the games industry is that it’s a creative art, and that means that the situation and the achievements of each game and studio are also really unique. And so we each studio, Looking at every game team, and when we’re faced with making decisions like this, it’s all about our long-term commitment to the games we make, the devices we make, the services, And making sure we are preparing ourselves to deliver on those commitments.”
While it’s great that Bond addressed these issues on Xbox, it still lacks the clarity you’d expect from the biggest company in the game industry. Neither Microsoft nor Xbox, including Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, have yet to address the layoffs and closings in an official capacity beyond that.
For more, read about how Redfall was reportedly set to get a major offline play update this month before Xbox shuts down Arkane Austin , and then read about how Xbox is reportedly considering bringing Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to the PlayStation 5. After that, check out. This story is about how Xbox is reportedly cutting more jobs, and then read about how the company is debating putting Call of Duty on the Xbox Game Pass with price hikes .
What do you think of Bond’s answers? Let us know in the comments below!