Nearly two weeks after Microsoft announced its intent to lay off roughly 9,000 employees, yet another workplace massacre that saw deep cuts across the company's gaming division, the ZeniMax Online Studios United union says it is now bargaining with the company "over how we move forward" following the cancellation of a new MMO that was in development at the studio.

The massive layoffs, which Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced on July 2 by talking about how great it's all going for the gaming division, also resulted in multiple cancellations including Everwild, the Perfect Dark reboot, and a new MMO in development at ZeniMax Online Studios.

Subsequent reports claimed that game was not a typical fantasy MMO as you might expect from the studio behind The Elder Scrolls Online, but rather a Destiny-style shooter, codenamed Blackbird, that Spencer really liked. Not enough to save it, which makes me wonder what exactly his job as the top guy at Xbox actually is, but that's a diversion for another day. In any event, ZeniMax was one of multiple Xbox studios hit hard by the layoffs, which according to a new statement from ZeniMax Online Studios United came completely without warning.

(Somewhat confusingly, given their similar names, ZeniMax Online Studios United is separate from the ZeniMax Workers United union: ZWU, formed in January 2023, represents QA workers at the studio, while ZOSU, which was announced in December 2024, includes "web developers, designers, engineers, and graphic artists.")

"Earlier this month, Microsoft indefinitely shelved an unannounced MMORPG at ZeniMax Online Studios, a shock to the 222 ZOSU-CWA developers working on the project," the union said in a statement posted to Bluesky. "It has been heartening and validating to see our game mentioned in the press and by players that would have loved to see the results of our work.

"Undoubtedly, a future has been stolen from many of us and our community will never experience an amazing game. However, despite discussions regarding the status of our employment, the fact is: we have not yet been laid off."

The union said that while "something like a layoff is inevitable" for much of its membership, the fact of its existence has helped soften the blow for impacted employees by sharing resources and information, and negotiating the best possible exit terms for people put out of work.

"Where Microsoft has failed to support the talented craftspeople who have generated billions in revenue, our union has stepped up to provide clarity and support," the union said. "It is true that a layoff may be in the future for some of our members. However, as a result of our organizing, we are able to ensure that those impacted will be able to depart with dignity."

It's a pretty clear sign that things aren't going well when the only upside of your situation is that you'll (hopefully) be allowed to "depart with dignity," but at this point that at least puts laid-off employees ahead of Microsoft itself. Xbox, which by rights should be dominating the videogame business, is instead a confused mess, while Microsoft is betting the house on AI, plowing tens of billions of dollars—a planned $80 billion in 2025 alone—into a blind pursuit of a MechaHitler of its very own.

Two more Fortnite ne'er-do-wells have been socked in the chops with the clenched fist of public humiliation, which is to say that they have been forced to make public apologies for being jerks.

"We took legal action against two people who cheated and broke our rules," Epic said in a statement. "One sold and used cheats and the other carried out cyber attacks on content creators who were livestreaming gameplay (aka: DDoS attacks). Both have been ordered to stop these activities and are banned from playing Fortnite. If you break the rules, there are consequences."

The first apology came from the cheat seller, who goes by the name Mirrored. "I would like to apologize to the Fortnite community for both cheating in Fortnite tournaments and selling and distributing cheats and hardware that enabled others to cheat," they wrote in a message posted to YouTube.

"I violated Epic's rules and they have taken legal action against me. I am banned from playing Fortnite forever and I'll face legal action if I sell or distribute cheats again."

I'm sorry number two is essentially the same thing, although it at least has the courtesy to start off as a proper YouTube video: "Hi everyone, it's Zebsi here. I recently carried out Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in Fortnite under the username TTV Humpty.LLC. The DDoS attacks impacted Fortnite matches of streamers, as well as other users involved in those matches. I am sorry for the DDoS attacks and the harm and damage they caused to the streamers, other players, and Epic Games (the operators of Fortnite). My accounts have been banned from Fortnite. I regret my actions and will not be involved in any more DDoS attacks."

It's a shame that neither apology goes all-in with brooding music and a dramatic reading, but I suppose that neither Mirrored nor Zebsi find all of this too amusing. It's a very public L, after all. I also wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that Epic mandates a certain sort of austere styling in these legally mandated apologies.

As humiliating as getting your ass tuned by Tim Sweeney in front of the entire world must be, the punishment could be a whole lot worse. Most lawsuits of this sort end with the defendant owing huge piles of money to a faceless corporation that doesn't need it but wants to make a point.

Epic didn't specify whether it pursued a financial penalty against this pair, and it may have—when it forced Fortnite cheater RepulseGod to publicly prostrate himself in February, for instance, it also required that he cough up his ill-gotten winnings, which were donated to charity. The fact that Mirrored, at least, seemingly made money on his bad behavior makes me think Epic would at least give 'em a little bit of an extra squeeze as a reminder not to do it again.

But any potential financial penalty comes off as decidedly secondary to the real punishment—being brutally, amusingly dragged—and I feel like that's a smart move on Epic's part. Ruining someone's life because they were an idiot in a videogame isn't a great look, especially for a multi-billion-dollar company that makes one of those most popular videogames on the planet. Forcing them to eat a little shit and then sending them on their way with a stern warning about the real unpleasantness that awaits if they come back, though? That's almost kind of stylish.