It’s no secret that the video game industry isn’t exactly being kind, even to the best of folks – including Kurt Kuhlmann, Bethesda Game Studios veteran and legendary Elder Scrolls “lore master” who worked on gems like the original Oblivion and Skyrim.
Although Kuhlmann hasn’t been at Bethesda for quite some time now, having reportedly left over Bethesda’s “bureaucratic” baggage, in his own words, and broken promises from Todd Howard about leading The Elder Scrolls 6.
He landed on his feet after leaving the company, however, moving on to work as a principal world designer at AAA studio Lightspeed LA… only to lose his role following a wave of layoffs earlier this summer.
Kuhlmann discusses his situation in a post on LinkedIn, putting into perspective just how difficult the industry is for developers right now – old and new.
“Along with most of the Last Sentinel team,” he writes, alluding to his job at Lightspeed LA, “I was laid off in July, so I am back on the job market.” He then flags potential employers: “If you know of anyone looking for a senior/principal/lead designer, please let me know or pass them my information.”
It hits hard, honestly, seeing an industry veteran of his measure with literal decades of dev and leadership experience seeking work – but it’s sadly not surprising.
Heck, just take a look at what’s been happening all over, from the relentless layoffs at Xbox (which are ongoing, with Microsoft’s plan to cut 3,200 employees at Xbox having commenced in July) to those elsewhere, even at indie companies, things aren’t easy… anywhere, it seems.
And, as Kuhlmann proves, nobody is immune. He’s got loads of know-how in the industry, and then some, as he lays out in his thread: “I spent the majority of my career at Bethesda Game Studios (BGS), and I’ve done pretty much every design-related thing for BGS games – narrative design and writing, world-building, combat balance, character systems, minigames, crafting, gameplay scripting, etc.”
All of this and his time at Lightspeed LA. Kuhlmann concludes that he’s “prioritizing jobs that allow remote work but I’m open to any opportunities that are a good match for my skills and experience” – and I sure do hope some come his way soon.