Microsoft Lays Off 1,900 Gaming Division Staff Including Blizzard President Mike Ybarra

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Even the mighty Microsoft isn’t immune to the massive layoffs sweeping across the video game and tech industries as it announces plans to reduce its gaming division’s workforce 8%, affecting roughly 1,900 employees from recently acquired Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax Online Studios, and even Xbox. “As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed [...]

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ZeniMax QA Workers Cite Poor Working Conditions As The Reason For Unionizing

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A few days ago, we reported on ZeniMax QA workers’ plans to form a union under the Communication Workers of America. The initial announcement didn’t go into detail about why they decided to unionize apart from wanting fair compensation and being given a voice in company decisions, particularly when it comes to scheduling and workloads. A report by Vice dives [...]

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ZeniMax Online QA Workers Are Forming A Union Under The CWA Banner

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The ongoing efforts of Activision Blizzard’s QA employees to unionize is encouraging other employees in the video game industry to form unions of their own. QA workers at ZeniMax Online Studios and Bethesda Softworks have announced their plans to form a union under the Communication Workers of America. The union will represent around 300 QA workers from multiple studios and [...]

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Microsoft’s ZeniMax Acquisition Is Complete, Xbox Head Welcomes New Studios

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Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media has officially pushed through following the European Commission’s approval of the $7.5B deal last week, making it the largest merger in the video game industry to date. Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s VP for Gaming, welcomed the ZeniMax team in a blog post on Xbox Wired: “Today we officially complete the acquisition of ZeniMax Media, parent company [...]

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European Commission Approves Microsoft’s $7.5B Acquisition Of ZeniMax Media

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Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media and its studios is nearing completion with the European Commission’s recent approval of the $7.5 billion deal. According to GamesIndustry.biz, the EC, the executive branch of the European Union, officially approved the deal last Friday citing that the acquisition “does not raise serious doubts as to its compatibility with the common market,” based on the [...]

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Microsoft Forms ‘Vault’ Subsidiary To Merge With ZeniMax Online Studios

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Microsoft has reportedly created a new subsidiary called Vault as part of the process of fully-acquiring Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios. According to the documents on the European Commission’s website, via Eurogamer, the acquisition will be accomplished by merging Vault “with and into” ZeniMax as a way of getting the European Union to approve the deal. Both parties, [...]

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EU Fines Valve And Other Big-Name Publishers For Violating EU Antitrust Rules

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The European Commission has fined several big-name video game companies for violating EU antitrust rules. The companies in question include Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home Interactive, Koch Media, Valve, and ZeniMax Online Studios. According to the Commission, the aforementioned companies’ geo-blocking practices and restrictions on cross-border sales within the European Economic Area were a clear violation of market regulations. They [...]

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Microsoft CFO Says They Won’t Be Pulling Bethesda Games From Other Platforms But Will Also Be Prioritizing Their Own

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Nearly two months after Microsoft acquired ZeniMax Media and its publisher Bethesda Softworks, it’s still unclear how game releases and updates will be handled from here on out. Will they be Xbox and PC exclusive or will they also be launching on other platforms like the PlayStation and Switch? Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Tim Stuart put the matter to rest [...]

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