Bethesda union members have organized a protest in reaction to the layoffs at Xbox, expressing their concern over being expected to accept the situation and fade into obscurity.

Next week, Bethesda Game Studios' unionized staff are set to go on strike due to widespread job cuts at Xbox.

The mobilization, organized by OneBGS, will involve demonstrations at Bethesda's offices in Montreal, Rockville, Austin, and Texas. Details were shared in an email from the OneBGS Mobilising Committee, reported by Game Developer.

Planned rallies will commence at 12:30 PM EST next Wednesday, July 15.

OneBGS emphasized the protection offered by unionization, stating, "Because we organized and certified our unions, we have hard-won legal rights and protections that non-unionized studios simply do not have."

The group voiced opposition to the company's approach, declaring, "The company wants us to accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear. We won't let that happen. Our next steps are to mobilize. We need every single member visible and unified."

The layoffs have impacted 440 union members within Bethesda and ZeniMax. The affected include 96 at Id Software, 40 remote positions at BGS Dallas, 22 at BGS Austin, 213 at ZeniMax Online Studios in Maryland, and 166 at ZeniMax Media.

The union criticized Microsoft and Bethesda for portraying the layoffs as a "transitional shift" from a studio-centric model to a franchise-based approach, allegedly to bypass the requirement to consult with the union.

In a communication to staff this week, Bethesda CEO Jill Braff attributed the move to an effort to "align the right talent, technology, and resources across the organization" by concentrating on its most "robust franchises."

OneBGS asserted that under current legal obligations, Microsoft must engage in 'Effects Bargaining' to negotiate the aftermath of these layoffs. "This means we have the right to negotiate exactly how these layoffs impact our people, and we are heading to the table to fight for every single affected worker," the union explained.

The union is advocating for priority transfers to ensure that displaced BGS employees are considered for other roles at Xbox and Microsoft, improved severance, extended healthcare, and recall rights to rehire their laid-off members first as BGS expands.

OneBGS, in collaboration with the Communication Workers of America, came to be in 2024. It marked the third unionization of a ZeniMax-owned studio, following the decision of OneBGS Montreal and ZeniMax Workers after the 2022 labor neutrality agreement between Microsoft and CWA.