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Microsoft’s decision to close four studios still has a negative impact among players and some fans have decided to take matters into their own hands. Xbox Studios boss Phil Spencer has begun to be targeted by fans within the games he plays and one of his camps in Fallout 76 it was simply bombed in protest of the dismissals.
According to several players on social media, the base built by the executive within Bethesda’s multiplayer game was destroyed. In photos and images published on X (formerly Twitter), it is possible to see not only the record of the attack but also scenes of people visiting the wreckage.
In a mix of trolling and protest, the attack is part of a mechanic of Fallout 76, which allows this type of interaction. However, throughout the almost six years that the game has been available on the market, Spencer’s camp has never become the target of nuclear bombs. And, not coincidentally, the attack would have taken place the day after the announcement of the closure of Tango Gameworks and three other studios.
Phil Spencer and his shaken popularity
In practice, the attack has no effect other than forcing the executive to rebuild everything from scratch, but it conveys a very powerful message — just like a nuclear weapon. Always well-liked by the Xbox community, Spencer has faced a very turbulent year full of setbacks that seem to be undermining the popularity he has achieved over the last few years.
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Of the new round of layoffs, the main criticism is precisely around Tango Gameworks, the studio responsible for Hi-Fi Rush, considered one of the best Xbox exclusives of recent years. The title was highly praised by players and critics, in addition to having a good sales performance, but this did not prevent the producer from having its doors closed.
Furthermore, many people are asking for Phil Spencer’s official position on what happened. The always-communicative executive has been largely quiet, and in recent days only a few friends have come to his defense.
But this shake of confidence comes from before. In early 2024, the head of Xbox announced that some of the console’s exclusive games would be released for other platforms — including Hi-Fi Rush, which arrived on the PlayStation 5 —, which was seen as a gesture of “betrayal” by more radical fans of the console. Given this, at the time, his administration began to be questioned by the community.
