you seem to be blaming the workers for turning out flops

I’m sorry if I came across that way. No. I firmly pin this on the dipshits in management.

That said, the worker bees of the gaming industry don’t get to decide what a future game looks like. If Microsoft wants Microtransactions, you’re making a game with Microtransactions whether that was what you wanted to be doing with your time or not.

These companies falling into disrepair and going into layoff mode means they aren’t giant magnets for development talent. In theory, that means fewer games with all the predatory DLC / casino mechanics crap. Smaller staffs mean fewer releases and less of the market clogged with this low effort drivel.

you don’t get a larian studios from laying off talent

Blizzard hemorrhaging talent has already produced a number of new studios. I’m sure Larian has potched talent from its competitors, particularly during the big '00 and '08 layoff waves.

It sucks for the industry as a whole. But getting people out of the old toxic employers and into younger and more ambitious studios is critical in revitalizing a stagnant industry.