A fresh round of layoffs is hitting Austin’s video game sector, this time affecting Bethesda Game Studios, part of Microsoft-owned ZeniMax Media Inc., the company behind some of gaming’s biggest franchises.
ZeniMax is cutting 22 jobs at Bethesda’s Austin office, 96 jobs at its Richardson operation and 40 remote jobs tied to that North Texas site, according to a notice it filed with the Texas Workforce Commission.
In all, the company plans to cut 158 Texas jobs, with layoffs effective Sept. 4.
ZeniMax, based in Rockville, Md., is the parent company of publisher Bethesda Softworks and several major game studios, including Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, MachineGames and ZeniMax Online Studios. Its studios are tied to some of the industry’s most storied series, including “The Elder Scrolls,” “Fallout,” “Doom” and “Wolfenstein.”
The affected Austin office is at 9420 Research Blvd., Suite 200. The Richardson office is at 1500 N. Greenville Ave., Suite 700.