Bethesda staff and former employees staged a protest outside the studio’s Rockville offices while Xbox leadership visited to watch a live demonstration of The Elder Scrolls 6. The action highlighted anger over Microsoft’s recent Xbox layoffs and matters because employees say the cuts could damage morale and affect development of the long-awaited game, although Bethesda disputes this.

The Communications Workers of America placed its giant inflatable “Scabby the Rat” outside the building and laid hundreds of red flags in the street, representing people laid off over the past year. Microsoft has cut 1,600 Xbox jobs and plans a further 1,600 departures this year, roughly a fifth of the division’s workforce; current and former Bethesda staff say key developers were affected, while reports suggest The Elder Scrolls 6 remains at least two years from release.