Bethesda’s France Office Shut Down by Microsoft – Another Casualty of the Acquisition

If 2023 ended in the most beautiful way for Microsoftwhich finally finalized the acquisition ofActivision Blizzard Kingthe manufacturer of Xbox started 2024 with nearly 2,000 layoffs across its many studios. Phil Spencer justified this decision by “the lack of growth” in the video game industry, the trend is not reversing.

This week we have confirmation that Bethesda France closed its doors. The publisher's center was in charge of communication and promotion of gaming Bethesda In France, a mission on pause for several weeks. But in recent hours, tongues are loosening and several former members of Bethesda France are delivered anonymously, particularly among our colleagues atActuGaming where it is mentioned an “American-style” dismissal.

At the house of BFM Tech&Co, former employees say they expected itThe direction (Microsoft) first left Bethesda France continue their work, but after several departures in January, employees began to doubt:

For several months, we were able to continue doing what we had been doing since the beginning, without interference from Xbox or Microsoft.

We were fooled around for a few weeks by being promised a trip to Microsoft's premises.

The former employees interviewed also explain that they “experienced the catastrophic launches of Redfall and Starfield very badly”, a possible reason which would have pushed Microsoft to refocus its forces and eliminate the local centers. Employees still recall their important work on certain games, particularly on The Elder Scrolls OnlineA MMORPG very popular thanks to its large French community, supported by the team of Bethesda France. But the latter was not even invited to celebrate the 10 years of TESO in the Netherlands at the beginning of the month, a “coup de grace” for the team. And while the series fallout cardboard on Amazon Prime Video, Bethesda France couldn't even communicate on social networks to promote it, his last message on X/Twitter dates from March 29.

On Xexactly, Internet users, like us, wish good luck to the employees of Bethesda France to bounce backmessages of support are multiplying, particularly from Fallout Generation And Disasteremphasizing in passing the lack of communication on the part of Microsoft. Let's also hope that the manufacturer does not now attack other poles of France like Xbox FR (very active at the moment, phew).

Clint008 Editor – Tester