ZeniMax Online Studios' leadership team has been hit hard by Xbox's cuts

According to Game File, the senior leadership of ZeniMax Online Studios, the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online, has been swept out as part of the Xbox restructuring. Studio head Joe Burba, executive producer Susan Kath, game director Rich Lambert, and production director Ala Diaz are all departing, leaving an MMO with a 12-year live service history in the hands of a largely new leadership structure.

The details:

• Joe Burba, who had been at ZeniMax Online for 14 years, was only appointed studio head last July following the previous round of Xbox layoffs. He held the role for less than a year before being let go in this latest round of cuts.
• Also departing are executive producer Susan Kath, game director Rich Lambert, and production director Ala Diaz. The four represent the core of the studio's senior leadership.
• The outgoing leaders will remain at the studio during a transition period of "the next few months." They are being replaced by Josh Henderson, previously head of business operations, and Nick Giacomini, who was promoted to game director last year.
• The leadership exodus is part of much larger cuts at ZeniMax Online. A Maryland WARN Act filing confirmed 213 staff were laid off at the studio, with 166 further cuts across ZeniMax Media, totalling 379.
• Former ESO staff have been blunt about the outlook. One laid-off designer told PC Gamer: "There's really no one left and no changing it now." A separate laid-off developer said ESO updates will be released noticeably less frequently going forward.