A month after Microsoft canceled a new MMO in development at ZeniMax Online Studios, Jo Burba, the new head of the studio, issued a statement to reassure the Elder Scrolls Online community that the game remains safe and undergoing continuous development.

“Please allow me to assure you, the ESO community, that the game isn’t going anywhere, and the studio is continuing to work hard on new features, adventures, and improvements,” Burba stated. “We indicated that significant changes in the world of Tamriel are forthcoming, and this remains unchanged. More details will be shared soon.”

Burba, who has been with ZeniMax for 13 years, succeeded Matt Firor, who left on the same day the unannounced MMO was scrapped. Additionally, that day also saw Microsoft cut approximately 9,000 employees across its gaming division, raising concerns about the future of the studio.

In light of recent layoffs, Burba’s added reassurances might carry a hint of skepticism; ZeniMax union member Autumn Mitchell expressed concerns about the morale of the remaining employees, noting that despite reassurances, the atmosphere within the studio is “terrible” post-layoffs.

“This carcass of workers that remains is somehow supposed to keep shipping award-winning games. I don’t really know how that works; Microsoft just took everything that could have been great about the culture and collaboration and decimated it.”

Interestingly, Microsoft recorded net income of $27.2 billion, coinciding with the layoffs, which has further intensified discussions surrounding corporate strategy and employee relations.