Breakdown
- Fallout 76 players are repeatedly nuking Xbox boss Phil Spencer
- Players are bullying the Xbox executive for shutting down Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin
- Fallout 76 is one of Spencer’s most-played games
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been nuked in Fallout 76 as gamers revolt against Microsoft’s decision to kill beloved development studios Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin.
A massive disgrace to the games industry, the Hi-Fi Rush and Prey developers have been shut down just two years after being acquired by Microsoft.
In response, Xbox gamers have taken to nuking Spencer’s Fallout base to revolt against the company’s decision to close two talented development studios. In the online game, players are gathering nukes to blast the Xbox executive’s C.A.M.P into oblivion.
Other Xbox fans have also expressed a desire to grief Spencer whenever they see him in the virtual wasteland. As one of the Xbox executive’s most played games, players are hoping to drive him away from the online wasteland in revenge.
Just a few weeks ago, Xbox gamers and Fallout fans rejoiced whenever they saw Spencer’s character wandering the wasteland. Now, seeing the Xbox executive’s gamertag in the wild results in war.
Xbox’s decision to shut down two of its just-acquired development studios has come as a huge shock to supporters of Microsoft’s gaming platform. Following the huge $70 Billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft had already laid off almost 2,000 employees, and cuts are still ongoing.
While Xbox still has exclusives in the works, such as Playground’s Fable reboot, a Halo Infinite sequel and The Elder Scrolls 6, there’s a sense that developers are no longer safe under the Xbox umbrella. With Hellblade 2 just around the corner, is Ninja Theory even safe?
Other reports have painted Microsoft’s new studios in an unflattering light as well. The Initiative, Xbox’s all-new development studio, is reportedly struggling with its reboot of Perfect Dark with insiders claiming the title is still in a “very rough state” years into development.
Even with all of its acquisitions over the past few years, Xbox is continuing to fumble. While services like Game Pass are undoubtedly great deals for gamers, the service is seemingly not good for developers.