Following layoffs and the cancellation of the new Project Blackbird IP, several devs left ZeniMax Online Studios. The company responsible for The Elder Scrolls Online even lost its CEO Matt Firor during this difficult period.
Several former employees subsequently ended up establishing Sackbird Studios last October . This week, a second new team called Ironroot Games has been created. Quentin Cobb, who was lead gameplay designer at ZeniMax, is heading up this independent company. He described last year’s layoffs by Microsoft as “traumatising”.
“I thought it was going well, personally, and it was shaping up. A thing that I struggle with is you wrap your identity up into your work. It’s tough for that to get flushed down the toilet. I was there for almost five years. It’s gone. All gone. It was a shock, and, to be honest, extremely traumatic. There are a lot of people still struggling with the ramifications of what happened that day. Blindsided is an understatement, that’s for sure. It was a tough day, something that I’ll never forget.”
Thus, it makes perfect sense that Quentin Cobb and Elaine Gómez (who is also a co-founder) want to put people at the heart of Ironroot Games’ priorities. We know almost nothing about the game currently in development at the studio. However, it is expected to be a “more personal” title.
It’s great to see former ZeniMax Online Studios employees coming together to form Ironroot Games. It’s always inspiring when creators unite to pursue new projects, even after facing challenges. Wishing them the best of luck on their journey!
is indeed inspiring to see how they’re channeling their experiences into a new venture. I’m curious to see how their past work will influence the games they create at Ironroot. It could really bring a fresh perspective to the industry!