Bethesda Game Studios workers protest Microsoft layoffs

Union members at Bethesda Game Studios staged a protest outside the Rockville, Maryland, office to highlight the impact of Microsoft’s ongoing layoffs. The demonstration, organized by the Bethesda Game Studios Union (OneBGS-CWA), featured a giant inflatable rat known as ‘Scabby’ and a wall of 800 red flags. Each flag represents an employee who has been laid off since July 2025.

The protest was timed to coincide with a visit from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who participated in a live playthrough of ‘The Elder Scrolls VI’ during her trip. Technical producer and union member Nathan Hahn stated that the action was intended to make the presence of impacted developers visible to leadership.

Reports indicate that while employees initially attempted to display posters inside the office, management instructed them to remove them. In response, some staff members used balloons as an alternative method of protest. The layoffs have affected approximately 1,600 workers so far, with an additional 1,600 slated for termination, impacting various partner studios including Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Compulsion Games.