Staff at Bethesda Game Studios in Rockville, Maryland, set up a small memorial to recently laid-off colleagues on Wednesday morning. HR quickly ordered its removal from the common area.
The action followed a wave of job cuts that began on Monday at Xbox and Microsoft studios, including Bethesda. Employees in Austin had created a similar "Celebration of Service" display the day before.
The Bethesda Game Studios Union posted photos of the Rockville memorial and its removal. A union statement said HR instructed the office manager to take it down almost immediately because it was in a shared space.
The union noted that common areas had previously been used for other team displays, including fan works. It described the memorial as a way to honor those who lost their jobs and show solidarity.
Xbox has faced repeated rounds of layoffs in recent years, with further cuts expected over the next twelve months.
