Arkane Lyon studio head Dinga Bakaba has minced precisely zero words in his criticism of Microsoft leadership's decision to shutter multiple Bethesda-owned studios, accusing the firm of turning development environments into "Darwinist jungles". Bakaba made his voice heard on Twitter shortly after the news came down that Microsoft would close Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, and Alpha Dog Games. Further, Roundhouse Studios is being folded into Zenimax Online Studios. Asking for permission to be human for a moment, Bakaba let rip:
"To any executive reading this, a friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you. Please don't throw us into gold fever gambits, don't use us as strawmen for miscalculations/blind spots, or make our work environments Darwinist jungles. You say we make you proud when we make a good game. Make us proud when times are tough. We know you can; we've seen it before."
It's a surprisingly earnest take, one we sympathise with, and we suppose even the heads of Microsoft's studios have had enough. We don't claim to be experts on international employment law, but some have speculated whether Bakaba might face censure for his righteous words. Bakaba and Arkane Lyon are based in France, and we'll defer to Window's Central's Jez Corden in this, who said: "Welcome to Europe, where employees actually have protections."
Bakaba made a plea for audiences and executives to have some semblance of grace in this trying time: "For now, great teams are sunsetting before our eyes again, and it's a f*cking gut stab. Lyon is safe, but please be tactful and discerning about all this, respect affected folks' voices, and leave room to be heard. It's their story to tell, their feelings to express."