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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99Subscribe now The Fantastic Four: First Steps Donkey Kong Bananza Switch 2 Starter Pack Recommended reading "A giant black hole sucking everything in, and spitting out bones": Devs react with anger and concern as yet more Microsoft layoffs see huge cuts and cancellations at game studios "A future has been stolen": ZeniMax union says "lives were upended" by Xbox layoffs and MMO cancelation, but "we have not yet been laid off" Of the 9,000 workers let go in Microsoft's layoff blitz, less than half were at Xbox specifically Splitgate 2 studio lays off "small group" of developers, while its co-founders aren't taking salaries "as we lock in to deliver the next phase" of the troubled FPS Microsoft orders more Xbox layoffs, boss Phil Spencer tells staff "our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger" but the fourth big round of layoffs in 18 months is coming anyway EA reportedly lays off "between 300 and 400" people, cancels Titanfall extraction shooter: "We've made select changes within our organization [...] in service of driving future growth" The Elder Scrolls "Everything more or less gets buried" by "massive shadow drops" like Oblivion Remastered, says indie publisher behind new PS2 horror homage: "Love the game that dropped but feel the pain for our team" Studio behind beauties like Oblivion Remastered and Metal Gear Solid Delta is reportedly facing heavy layoffs in the games industry's latest demonstration that hits will not spare you Austin Wood 16 July 2025 Support studio and remaster specialist Virtuos is reportedly next in line for layoffs When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Bethesda Softworks) Virtuos, a massive global game development operation best known as a support, outsourcing, and remaster specialist behind the likes of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, is reportedly the latest games studio to weather heavy layoffs. French journalist Gauthier Andres of Origami reports that Virtuos is cutting around 300 people, or 7% of its total staff, in a reduction plan that will hit locations in multiple regions. The company's website currently shows that it employs over 4,200 people around the world, so 7% of that would be around 294 people laid off, which lines up pretty well. Origami reports that these layoffs will be concentrated in China, but will ultimately ripple out across other studios including Virtuos' French studios, which were notably attached to Oblivion Remastered. In the past few years, Virtuos has opened new studios in several countries, including Japan, Ukraine, and Malaysia. You may like "A giant black hole sucking everything in, and spitting out bones": Devs react with anger and concern as yet more Microsoft layoffs see huge cuts and cancellations at game studios "A future has been stolen": ZeniMax union says "lives were upended" by Xbox layoffs and MMO cancelation, but "we have not yet been laid off" Of the 9,000 workers let go in Microsoft's layoff blitz, less than half were at Xbox specifically As a support studio, Virtuos has contributed to, rather than strictly made, a great deal of games, including high-profile releases like Horizon Forbidden West (character and environment art), Dark Souls (the Nintendo Switch version of the remaster), and, according to its website, upcoming games like Judas from BioShock creator Ken Levine. Just today, right alongside this layoff report, Virtuos lead game designer Adrien Jouannet appeared on a Cyberpunk 2077 stream showing off update 2.3 with several CD Projekt Red devs to discuss its ongoing work with the studio. Virtuos has stepped in as a patch co-developer as the CDPR mothership moves onto other projects but can't seem to leave Cyberpunk be. (Image credit: Konami) You can find support outfits like Virtuos in the credits of virtually every big game, and plenty of smaller ones too, but the studio's recently become known for larger releases like Oblivion Remastered and Metal Gear Solid Delta where it's taken on a bigger role in production, albeit still as co-dev. Virtuos is directly listed as a developer in the Steam listing for Oblivion Remastered, for instance, whereas Konami alone is listed for the Metal Gear remake. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is unreleased, but it has consistently impressed visually and is attached to a big IP. Oblivion Remastered was a massive hit and Bethesda heaped praise on Virtuos as a partner, but evidently this hasn't spared it from the layoffs still going around the industry. Making a good game often doesn't. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. In fact, Origami reports that Oblivion Remastered was an especially huge effort for Virtuos, but a lack of proportional royalties from the project meant the game's success didn't necessarily boost the studio's bottom line. Raise freezes and executive bonus reductions reportedly hit the company earlier this year, leaving many worried about potential layoffs. Last month, Virtuos CEO Gilles Langourieux told Inverse that the company's co-developer model is only becoming more important to an industry struggling to take any risks and steadily falling into patterns as AAA development budgets balloon. "One of the classic entry points to co-development was art outsourcing. How can we get large volumes of art made cheaply offshore? That has limitations as you still have to bring the art back, integrate it, and finalize it," Langourieux said. "So there’s been a transition to a more integrated model, where the more sophisticated provider, like Virtuos, are able to integrate in the development pipeline, and because of that they can also add design, engineering, and other capabilities." "If every time you make your product you have to put $100 million on the line, you’re not going to be taking a lot of risks," he added, going on to champion the cost-effectiveness of outsourced game development. "If you can ship a great product with a lower investment, you might be taking more risks. That’s where I think we have a great role to play." We've reached out to Virtuos for comment on these reported layoffs. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is getting online in the form of Fox Hunt – which Konami wants you to know isn't Metal Gear Online: "The landscape of multiplayer games has changed a lot." See more Games News Xbox Series X PlayStation Austin Wood Social Links Navigation Senior writer Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible. 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"A giant black hole sucking everything in, and spitting out bones": Devs react with anger and concern as yet more Microsoft layoffs see huge cuts and cancellations at game studios "A future has been stolen": ZeniMax union says "lives were upended" by Xbox layoffs and MMO cancelation, but "we have not yet been laid off" Of the 9,000 workers let go in Microsoft's layoff blitz, less than half were at Xbox specifically Splitgate 2 studio lays off "small group" of developers, while its co-founders aren't taking salaries "as we lock in to deliver the next phase" of the troubled FPS Microsoft orders more Xbox layoffs, boss Phil Spencer tells staff "our platform, hardware, and game roadmap have never looked stronger" but the fourth big round of layoffs in 18 months is coming anyway EA reportedly lays off "between 300 and 400" people, cancels Titanfall extraction shooter: "We've made select changes within our organization [...] in service of driving future growth" Latest in Games The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature is here, but fairies aren't the only new feature to come to EA's life sim – so is rapper T-Pain Fortnite Fortress of Solitude: Where to find it Destiny 2 Dark Academia quest walkthrough Sega wants you to make your own Like a Dragon games in Roblox, but your creations need to "stay true to the world and lore" established in the Yakuza series, so please don't make Kiryu and Majima kiss One more Cyberpunk 2077 delay for old times' sake: the Nintendo Switch 2 version of patch 2.3 has been pushed back, but seemingly not for long The dev who inspired Localthunk "to make Balatro" has a new roguelike out, and with 95% positive Steam reviews it's off to a good start Latest in News The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature is here, but fairies aren't the only new feature to come to EA's life sim – so is rapper T-Pain Sega wants you to make your own Like a Dragon games in Roblox, but your creations need to "stay true to the world and lore" established in the Yakuza series, so please don't make Kiryu and Majima kiss After just 23 days, KPop Demon Hunters is on track to become Netflix's biggest animated movie ever, replacing an Adam Sandler film One more Cyberpunk 2077 delay for old times' sake: the Nintendo Switch 2 version of patch 2.3 has been pushed back, but seemingly not for long Pedro Pascal isn't giving anything away when asked if Chris Evans will appear in Fantastic Four or Avengers: Doomsday: "I’ve just gone into… a blackout" The dev who inspired Localthunk "to make Balatro" has a new roguelike out, and with 95% positive Steam reviews it's off to a good start GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Donkey Kong Bananza Review: "Destruction isn't just a flashy gimmick for the Minecraft generation, it's one of the best inventions Nintendo has had in years" Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: "A nostalgic, must-play hit for fans" College Football 26 review: “Thanks to rivalries and dynasty, this is the greatest show on turf” Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy" Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" 28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy” Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation" Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date" Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling" Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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