On May 7, Microsoft closed four studios, Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Studios, and Roundhouse Games, in a move that enraged the gaming community. Now, one community member seems to have retaliated by nuking Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer’s base in Fallout 76.
On the evening of May 8, Fallout 76 players started reporting that Phil Spencer’s Fallout 76 base had been demolished by a nuclear strike. His character is apparently named “P3,” and numerous players have reported encountering him in-game. Judging by the screenshots posted yesterday, P3’s base was razed to the ground.
In another post, a player shared a video showing P3’s ruined base in the aftermath of the nuke. Unsurprisingly, most players found it amusing. “Thank you for your service,” one player wrote. A few believe it’s absolutely deserved due Microsoft’s recent actions that many are calling detrimental for the gaming industry. Another Fallout 76 player joked that Spencer is going to “close its studio” as an act of revenge.
It’s more than likely Microsoft and Spencer won’t respond to this vendetta even if it gets on their nerves. On the other hand, you can’t really blame the individuals responsible for this, since they probably had no other way of “protesting” against Microsoft’s closures.
The gaming industry has been in a poor state as of late, with layoffs and studio closures happening left and right. Microsoft shutting down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Studios, and Roundhouse Games feels like another drop in the ocean at this point.
To make matters worse, new report suggests Microsoft is planning to cut even more jobs following the May 7 closures. The day after, Jason Schreier revealed that Microsoft will be cutting staff at Zenimax, the company it purchased in 2021 for 7.2 billion dollars.
