New information has appeared online stating Virtuos, the team behind the Oblivion Remaster, has been hit by layoffs, and that the company will be shifting their focus to larger less competitive projects in the future.
It is important to note that this has nothing to do with Microsoft, despite Oblivion being a Microsoft title, and was apparently already underway before the release of the remaster. The source states that the company had already placed a freeze on raises, and reduced bonuses.
These cuts will initially be focused in China, but the French team directly behind Oblivion Remaster will be impacted as well.
You can read the original post by Gauthier 'Gautoz' Andres of ORIGAMI Média over at BlueSky, but it is written in French. Full disclaimer I myself cannot read French (my wife on the other hand can), but here is what was said ran through a translator.
Also keep in mind that this is still a rumor, as nothing has been officially confirmed.
Original Post's Translation:
NEWS: Mass layoffs are underway at Virtuos, the studio behind Oblivion Remastered and the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Δ. 300 positions (7% of the workforce) are at risk at this outsourcing specialist located in Asia, the USA, and Europe, including three branches in France.According to several sources, these cuts will initially target China (200 people) but will affect many other departments, including the French studios behind the recent success TES IV Oblivion Remastered. The watchword of the announcement made to the teams a few weeks ago: "competitiveness."
Founded in Shanghai in 2004 by former Ubisoft executive Gilles Langourieux, Virtuos is a private company specializing in co-development, porting, and game development services for others (including graphic remasters). www.virtuosgames.com/fr/works/
However, projects like MGS Δ and Oblivion constitute the new strategic horizon for Virtuos, which wants to reposition itself on larger projects/licenses (like Bluepoint?) and distance itself from the much more competitive market of light restorations.
Virtuos is said to have made significant efforts on Oblivion, with a policy of over-quality relative to the budget and a contract without royalties (without bonuses indexed to the game's success). The result: teams put to the test for a purely showcase game, doomed to see its profitability questioned.
In February, at the end of Oblivion's development, the company announced a freeze on raises and a reduction in bonuses at the group level. Management was then questioned about the risk of layoffs following these measures, but sought to be reassuring.
It is in this context that a strike is currently taking place at Virtuos Lyon to: 1/ protest against these layoffs 2/ protect the future action capabilities of this branch, already struggling with a centralization/merger of the command of the French studios.
Several witnesses also confirmed to me that Virtuos is also approaching the issue of generative AI at its own pace and cautiously. "In one year, we've gone from a few group-level presentations to basic but mandatory training for employees."
Once fatigue and anger are mentioned, most of my conversations with witnesses to the situation end in the same place: in the midst of a strategic turnaround, Virtuos is apparently losing the trust of some of its employees.
Sorry, colleagues, no dedicated show or article; it's the off-season at Origami. You'll have to make do with this thread and the official communications that will eventually arrive.
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