Considering that Obsidian Entertainment has finally been given the opportunity to develop a Fallout game puts the whole thing in a different light.

After Microsoft announced plans to cut 3,200 jobs by July 2027, significant restructuring took place at most of its studios, including those that many believed were safe from Asha Sharma’s business restructuring plans, such as Bethesda Game Studios (BGS). Although BGS, the developer behind The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series, was affected by Microsoft’s layoffs, the studio confirmed last week that it will place an even greater emphasis on its two most important franchises. Ahead of the release of the fifth installment in the series, remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas will be released. This sudden and unexpected announcement suggested that Xbox would now directly manage the popular post-apocalyptic franchise. However, it appears this is not the case.

A studio representative told MrMattyPlays that BGS manages the entire franchise, from games to movies and everything in between, as with all Fallout-related matters. This change in communication strategy has been under consideration by BGS for some time. It seems that BGS wants to assure fans that their decision to have Obsidian Entertainment work on a new Fallout game, following the excellent Fallout: New Vegas, was not forced upon them. However, given the current situation, it’s likely that Xbox strongly pushed for this decision, as well as the new franchise-focused model.

Many of the most pressing questions remain unanswered, but BGS revealed some additional details about how the layoffs are affecting the studios. These changes will not impact the development schedule for The Elder Scrolls VI or ongoing support for Fallout 76. ZeniMax Online Studios is fully committed to The Elder Scrolls Online and has plans for the future. However, uncertainty persists. Last week, designer Morgan Goin stated that the studio cannot maintain its previous content release pace following the drastic staff cuts.

While BGS continues to oversee Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, it’s clear that changes will occur in the future regarding the management of these two major Xbox franchises. Since The Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 are expected to launch a decade or more after their predecessors, it makes sense that the new Xbox leadership would aim for faster release cycles. Hopefully, this won’t compromise the gaming experience.

Source: WCCFTech