Virtuos Job Cuts Incoming, Despite Recent Successes
Virtuos, the studio behind the recent The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, is gearing up to lay off some of its staff sometime soon.
When The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered shadow dropped in April of this year, fans and critics alike were excited to once again enter the world of Cyrodiil. The majority of the sentiment has been that the remaster was well-made, with the studio working on the game, Virtuos, receiving high praise. It seems that the success of The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered wasn't enough to stave off layoffs within the company, though.
That is according to French video games journalist Gauthier Andres who revealed that around 300 employees at Virtuos would be getting laid off. Making the announcement over on Bluesky, Andres stated that the layoffs would be across multiple branches in Asia, the USA, Europe, and three of the branches in France. The main reasoning provided to the employees was “competitiveness,” but no official announcement has come from Virtuos.
The layoffs are a little confusing, however, as Virtuos are also heading up the development of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and receiving continuous contract work on Cyberpunk 2077. When paired with the success of The Elder Scrolls: IV Oblivion Remastered, it would seem Virtuos have enough projects to keep everything in check. Part of the problem is Virtuos apparently overspending during the development of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
Virtuos is said to have a policy of overspending and a royalty-free contract without bonuses tied to the game's success. After development on Oblivion Remastered wrapped in February, the company announced a freeze on raises and a reduction in bonuses at the group level.
What do you think about the layoffs affecting Virtuos? Sound off in the comments.
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