Earlier this year, Microsoft laid off a lot of people and cancelled projects at various subsidiary game studios, as part of what company CEO Satya Nadella has whimsically called the "enigma of success". Elder Scrolls Online developers ZeniMax Online Studios were among those making cuts - they buried an unannounced project codenamed Blackbird, which was reportedly a nimble MMO shooter of some kind. In the process, studio head Matt Firor also left the company. Unionised staff members have described the reductions as "inhumane", demoralising and counterproductive, with one worker commenting that "a lot of practical knowledge just disappeared overnight".

Now, studio game director Rich Lambert and game director Nick Giacomini have been chatting a little about where ZeniMax Online Studios is going next. They still have plenty of ideas for new game projects, apparently, but for the moment, the focus appears to be on streamlining the update process for ESO.

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