The Elder Scrolls Online Studio’s President Announcing His Departure From the Company

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ZeniMax Online Studios has disclosed that Matt Firor, their president, will be departing from the company towards the end of this month. This news was shared via a post on social media platforms. As Firor moves on, Jo Burba is set to assume his leadership position within the studio, with Susan Kath taking over as Executive Producer and Rich Lambert continuing as Game Director. In a message to the community, Firor highlighted that this team has previously been instrumental in developing some of the most significant updates and concepts for The Elder Scrolls Online.

18-plus years at the helm of ZeniMax Online Studios are coming to an end for me later this month, I shared in a recent social media post. The studio and “The Elder Scrolls Online” are about to embark on a new chapter, with Jo Burba stepping up as Studio Head, Susan Kath taking the Executive Producer role, and Rich Lambert as Game Director. This dynamic leadership team has been instrumental in driving some of the most groundbreaking ideas and expansions for “ESO,” and I have no doubt they’ll continue to shape this game into something we can all be proud of.

Although I won’t continue developing the game, I’ll still be rooting for you and contributing to the countless hours I’ve already invested in-game. There are numerous tales left untold, journeys yet unexplored, and I trust that this vibrant community will uphold our shared history and triumphs.

In addition to Firor, it appears that other long-time members from Rare’s development team are also reportedly departing the company. According to VGC, one of the most seasoned game designers within the studio – Gregg Mayles – is among those leaving. If true, Mayles’ departure would signify the conclusion of a career at Rare that spans over 3 decades.

At Rare, Mayles began his career in 1990 and worked on numerous games since then. His first credited project was “Solar Jetman.” Over the years, he contributed to significant titles such as “Donkey Kong Country,” “Banjo-Kazooie,” and “Viva Pinata,” among others, throughout the studio’s history.

Alongside Mayles, who joined the Everwild project in 2021, executive producer Louise O’Connor is also departing from the company. Since her time on the Nintendo 64 game Conker’s Bad Fur Day back in 2001, she has been a part of Rare.

News emerged earlier this week about the termination of the game known as Everwild. As reported by VGC, Matt Booty from Microsoft Studios confirmed this in an internal memo, and he also mentioned that Microsoft was closing down The Initiative.

In a recent statement, Booty announced that the development of Perfect Dark and Everwild has been halted, along with several other unnamed projects. Additionally, The Initiative studio will be shut down. These actions, alongside other changes in various teams, are part of an overall strategy to realign priorities and allocate resources more effectively, in response to the ever-evolving gaming industry landscape.

These decisions weren’t taken casually; after all, every project and team embodies numerous years of hard work, creativity, and dedication.

Microsoft is currently undergoing significant job reductions. For more insights on the strife at Halo Studios due to these layoffs, take a look here.

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2025-07-03 15:41