Xbox responds to Fallout 76 development scandal: there is no 996 plus surveillance now

Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, has responded to a previous Bethesda employee exposing the Fallout 76 development scandal, with employees suffering “voluntary overtime” and studio mismanagement. And he is “sure” that there is no such overtime in the studio now.

Matt Booty also said it was “unfair” to attribute overtime culture to Bethesda alone. He was not cleaning up the overtime culture, it was just part of the “industry culture” at the time, and the working conditions detailed in the report existed in the past. Earlier in his career, he also slept under the desk (working overtime to the point of sleeping at the company), which they considered an honor in the past.

“I’ve heard from conversations with Bethesda leadership that none of us are in this overtime + workplace PUA work environment, and I’m pretty sure of that.”

He also admitted that overtime could still occur without his knowledge. However, he said employees need to trust Xbox’s internal processes, that Xbox’s human resources department is willing to listen to employees’ concerns, and that each game studio has a corresponding support group. “They can report these to us anonymously through HR, and we have to rely on those independent checks and balances.”

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