After laying off thousands of employees in the past few years, gaming industry executives seem to have adopted a more efficient method of what they euphemistically call "prioritizing" Take-Two axed two studios just last week, and now Microsoft has bulldozed 4, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks.This was acquired when I bought Bethesda in 2021.

The dissolution of these talented, respected teams has strengthened the sense between gamers and developers that there is not enough to gain security under today's leading publishers. In one popular tweet, indie developer Maisie Ó Dorchaidhe cited 11 things that "can no longer keep you safe in this industry," including "good games," "profitable games," and "long hours and sacrifices.""

Indeed, Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi rush has hit Microsoft's "break out" with all the key metrics and expectations." And in his email to staff today (obtained by IGN), Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, said the studio's closure "does not reflect the creativity and skills of these teams' talented individuals or the risks they have taken to challenge new things.""Rather, Microsoft" is prioritizing high-impact titles."

The message being heard is that you can do everything right, but still be considered a "low impact" at any given time by Upstairs suits, and that in the wake of this announcement, fans and developers have been talking about the future of other Microsoft-owned studios, especially Obsidian, inXile, Double Fine and Ninja Theory. They have expressed anger, heartbreak and anxiety.

"Even studios and developers who make very cool, award-winning and best-selling games are not safe from 'realignment' or 'divestment of resources elsewhere', or at all devastating," writes Firaxis writer Emma Kidwell.

"We don't understand the closure of Tango Gameworks," writes Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Helldivers2studio. "......That's right... Why close instead of divest[sell]? Surely the team would have easily been able to find a new home."

"It's especially good for morale that I can't imagine hearing you are letting go because of *another developer* priorities," said Larian Publishing Director Michael Doze, "especially if you're in another regional office of the Shutter Sister Office,"" said the company's chief executive." I'm working on obsidian, or something. Wild"

Notifications of unrecorded positions in other studios, a common sight in the aftermath of layoffs and studio closures, have also popped up. Kyle Lowry, director of Alan Wake 2, said he "took a lot of inspiration from both the evil in 2 and the evil in 2" when making Alan Wake 2, and encouraged the former tango developer to apply it. Ken Levine, the creator of BioShock, says he is "sad and disappointed" by the closure of Arkane Austin, calling on the studio's designers to work on his new game (referring to Levine's last studio, Irrational, being closed so he can start his current studio). It's a good idea.  According to Booty's email, "some" employees at Arkane Austin will be moved to other teams at Bethesda. Roundhouse Games, one of the other closed studios, will be absorbed by ZeniMax Online Studios.1 Tango Gameworks and Alpha Dog, the 4th shutter studio, had no such provisions — they just closed.

"I just want to say that I love all the people of Alcan Austin so much," wrote former studio director Harvey Smith. "We went through a lot of great times, tough times together," he said. Of course, today's news is terrible for all of us. Your talent will lift you up, and I will do whatever I can to help.

In May, Microsoft also canceled the Survival game in production at Blizzard, which it acquired with Activision last year and laid off its development team as part of a 1,900 job cuts across Xbox.