Zenimax Online on ESO after layoffs: 'We didn't want to rush to just hit a date'

The Elder Scrolls Online developers say the studio lost roughly 60% of its team in a year: 62 layoffs after Project Blackbird was scrapped in July 2025 and another 213 in July 2026. Some updates have slipped to 2027, but on September 28 the game adds The Nowhere Vault, The High Seas of Tamriel and a marker-free 'rumour' quest system.

• Zenimax Online's dev team dropped about 60% in one year
• 62 layoffs followed the scrapping of Project Blackbird in July 2025
• Another 213 employees were laid off in July 2026
• September 28 brings The Nowhere Vault, High Seas and rumour quests