Editorial: Gaming / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Instagram / News / Discord /Telegram A report recently surfaced that uncovered bad labor practices at Bethesda, a studio that is now in the hands of Microsoft and Xbox. The details indicate that there was crunch during the development of Fallout 76, a game that nobody wanted to work on and that, in the end, it had a bumpy launch. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, decided to speak about the controversy in a recent question and answer session. He stated that Xbox takes this type of report very seriously, where they talk about serious problems that have plagued the industry and developers for years. His position was clear: he defended Bethesda and denied that the studio resorts to crunch or labor exploitation today. Likewise, he described as unfair that this issue is focused solely on one study when it is something that has been experienced in many other companies in the past.
Find out: Starfield and Redfall are delayed, what’s left for Xbox in 2022?

Xbox rules out crunch at Bethesda, but will monitor the situation

The manager explained that the crunch has existed in the industry for many years and that he experienced it in the past. However, he ruled out that Bethesda currently has such problems and that its employees are dissatisfied with the work environment. “Crunch culture is… if you go back 10 years, it’s a little unfair to put that in just one studio. It was just part of the industry. I’m not saying that to justify it, I’m just saying that it was part of the culture of the industry. I literally slept under my desk early in my career. And we saw it as a badge of honor,” Booty said. He later stated that he has spoken with Bethesda managers about the issue, so he is sure there are no bad labor practices. Although this does not rule out that they have existed in the past, he believes that the recent report is not accurate. Booty didn’t underestimate the problem, accepting that there could be a crisis at the studio without him or other Xbox officials knowing about it. For this reason, he affirmed that his human resources department will always offer assistance and help to workers who need it. The report claims that the crunch cases happened before Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax. It is stated that things are unlikely to change thanks to Xbox, as the company has a hands-off stance in the internal processes of each studio. This case is especially relevant due to the current situation that Activision Blizzard is experiencing, a study that in a matter of time will also pass into the hands of Microsoft and Xbox. Booty did not comment on the matter or share the strategy to stop the crunch in Bethesda in case it exists in recent projects.
In case you missed it: Starfield advance generates controversy and they name it No Man’s Skyrim We recommend you visit this link to learn more about Bethesda. On the other hand, here you will find more about the crunch and its effects on the industry.
Related Video: Xbox & Bethesda Showcase Recap

Font