Matt Firor, head of ZeniMax Online Studios and director of The Elder Scrolls Online, has chosen to depart from the company.
According to a statement shared on the official TESO X account, Firor, who had been at the helm of ZeniMax Online Studios for over 18 years, will be moving on later this month. The studio and “The Elder Scrolls Online” are set to continue thriving under the guidance of the new Studio Head Jo Burba, as well as Executive Producer Susan Kath and Game Director Rich Lambert.
As a united force, our leadership team has been instrumental in driving ESO’s major innovations and growth, and we’re committed to maintaining a game that makes everyone proud. Though I won’t be part of the development process any longer, I’ll be right there with you, celebrating your victories and contributing more to the countless hours I’ve already invested in-game. There are numerous tales left untold, journeys yet unexplored, and I have no doubt that this incredible community will uphold our shared legacy and continued success.
Since its establishment in 2007, Firor has been leading ZeniMax Online. Before that, he was one of the founders at Mythic studio, where he worked for a decade as a producer on Dark Age of Camelot. Currently, he has been managing The Elder Scrolls Online since its release in 2014, guiding it from a challenging debut to continued success as one of the top MMOs available on PC today.
Firor leaving happens shortly following Microsoft’s announcement about laying off approximately 9,000 staff members across all departments, with significant reductions affecting multiple Xbox game studios and the shutdown of The Initiative, a studio that was developing the cancelled Perfect Dark reboot. Furthermore, Rare’s Everwild project has been shelved, and it remains unclear how many ZeniMax Online Studios employees have lost their jobs due to the cancellation of an ongoing MMO project started in 2018.
In simpler terms, there’s no explanation given for the recent unpleasantness, but Xbox leader Phil Spencer stated in a questionable memo to staff today that “we currently have more players, games, and gaming time than ever,” and that “our platform, hardware, and game plans have never been stronger.
It’s important to mention that Microsoft President, Brad Smith, stated in January their goal to invest around $80 billion over their 2025 fiscal year towards developing data centers equipped with AI technology for training AI models and deployment. Keep in mind, this significant amount of money needs to be sourced from somewhere.
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2025-07-02 23:17