The latest round of layoffs at Xbox has affected the leadership team of ZeniMax Online Studios

Recent cuts at ZeniMax Online Studios have affected the company's leadership, including the removal of studio head Joseph Burba. Other notable individuals laid off include ESO producer Susan Kath, studio game director Rich Lambert, and production director Ala Diaz as revealed through a WARN notice sent to state officials in Maryland.

Josh Henderson, formerly head of business operations, will take over as studio head, teaming up with game director Nick Giacomini during this time of change. The transition is projected to span a few months, with the senior team remaining active during this period to facilitate a seamless transition.

The outgoing leaders expressed their faith in Josh Henderson and Nick Giacomini, indicating optimism for the studio's future and ongoing development of ESO. They anticipate exciting developments as they finalize Update 51 and maintain that the community's dedication and ingenuity remain vital.

Apart from these changes at the top, the layoffs impacted various other senior roles such as studio operations director, studio audio director, studio art manager, and vice president roles related to finance and global sales. However, it is unclear if all these roles were exclusively from ZeniMax Online Studios, as some may pertain to Bethesda Game Studios or its publishing headquarters.

Overall, 213 jobs were cut across the company, including 166 at ZeniMax Media. An account by Kotaku previously described the reductions as severe, with potential implications for nearly half of the ZOS development team.

This follows a similar workforce reduction the previous year during which ZOS founder Matt Firor exited after Microsoft halted Project Blackbird. Post-Microsoft's previous round of cuts, Rich Lambert and Nick Giacomini spoke with GamesIndustry.biz about the aftermath and the future of the enduring MMO.