Bethesda Staff Reportedly Frustrated With Limited Access to Reproductive Healthcare

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 24 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in the US in 1973, companies throughout the country have recently publicized their intentions to extend their abortion and gender-affirming care services for employees.

This includes Microsoft, which acquired Bethesda Game Studios and its parent company ZeniMax Media last year.

According to a new report by Kotaku’s Sisi Jianghowever, it appears Bethesda employees are growing frustrated with its studios’ “unwillingness to clearly support their access to reproductive healthcare” — something that’s apparently been handled independently because of the limited nature of its post-acquisition integration into Microsoft.

“This is an especially pressing issue for the many Starfield and Redfall developers who are based out of states like Texas that have strict anti-abortion legislation on the books,” Kotaku’s report reads. “These tensions have steadily increased as heated debates have taken place in company Slack channels and management communications have failed to directly address employees’ specific concerns and demands.”