State of Decay studio Undead Labs potentially up for closure, sources claim, with Bethesda and Blizzard also facing layoffs

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"They are not short on money": union workers speak out against Microsoft gaming "reset"

Zombies by a ferris wheel in State of Decay 2's new version of the Trumbull Valley map.
Image credit: Microsoft

Microsoft may close State of Decay developers Undead Labs as part of Xbox's imminent hewing back of projects and livelihoods, with Elder Scrolls studio Bethesda and World of Warcraft creators Blizzard also facing significant layoffs in the course of what an anonymous insider has called “the biggest single cut series for Xbox". To put that quote in context, the company laid off around 1900 Microsoft gaming workers back in January 2024. Xbox unions are even now haggling with management to protect jobs or at least, ensure decent severance packages for anybody affected by the margin-boosting cull.

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"We were only three votes away": Stop Killing Games-backed California bill to keep online games playable fails to win over senate committee

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The Protect Our Games Act has hit a snag

Members of the Stop Killing Games campaign hosting a livestream in Brussels.
Image credit: Stop Killing Games campaign

A Californian bill aiming to force publishers shutting down servers for online games to provide a version of the game players can keep on playing independently of said servers or issue full refunds has failed to pass a committee vote in the state's senate. That means the bill's march through the legislature, which has been backed by the wider Stop Killing Games campaign, has come to a relative standstill for now.

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