The United States Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision ensuring legal access to abortion across the country, has prompted myriad responses across the gaming industry. Many game studios and publishers have publicly or privately dedicated themselves to expanding reproductive benefits, including supporting travel needs out of states where abortion is legal. Other companies have remained silent, or in the case of Bethesda created more controversial situations.Bethesda was acquired by Microsoft in 2021. On paper, it would make sense that Bethesda employees, including Redfall and Starfield developers in Texas with strict abortion restrictions, would be covered by Microsoft's policies. Microsoft has dedicated itself to ensuring employees and their dependents will have access to "critical health care" related to abortion. Bethesda even made a public statement saying "We believe the ability to make choices about one's body and lifestyle is a human right." Yet a new report claims that Bethesda is not covered by Microsoft's policies and allegedly hasn't promised its employees similar protections.A report from Kotaku states that Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media has maintained its independence with regard to benefit systems. As such, Bethesda is not subject to follow Microsoft's policies. A former ZeniMax employee explained that many people quit after learning of this divide. Bethesda would still be able to dedicate itself to providing the same benefits, of course, but is allegedly so far unwilling to.
In one instance, Bethesda's intra-company Slack is said to have been used by an employee to post an extensive anti-Roe v. Wade comment filled with quotes from the Bible. Bethesda ultimately removed the post and told employees not to post about politics and religion in the company's "water cooler." Women at the company have sought alternative ways of communicating their frustration, including delivering a letter to ZeniMax Media's leadership team on the matter.
As for what happens next, ZeniMax CEO Jamie Leder has reportedly apologized for the language used in the tweet Bethesda shared following the overturn of Roe vs. Wade. In that apology, Leder told employees that the company will "continue to protect our employee options and access to critical healthcare." However, employees are said to be frustrated over the lack of specific commitments. Leder is said to have not addressed contraceptive access, non-discrimination against pregnant employees, and relocation options.
The news regarding ZeniMax not being held to Microsoft's policies has led to some worry over the upcoming acquisition of Activision Blizzard. If Activision Blizzard is given a similar independence over policy, it could exacerbate ongoing worries over discrimination and support for women. Activision Blizzard has yet to issue a public statement committing itself to reproductive care, like Bethesda.
Source: Kotaku