Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, has been the target of a nuclear weapon attack in Fallout 76. A disgruntled player decided to express their displeasure at the recent closure of several studios owned by Microsoft in the multiplayer post-apocalyptic Bethesda game by dropping nukes on Spencer’s in-game camp.
Spencer’s gamer tag, P3, has long been public knowledge, and in 2018 he confirmed on X that it’s a nickname arising from the fact that he shares a name with his father and grandfather, so he was known as P3 at family events.
The attack was discovered by X user Sam_Snydes who posted “Lmao someone nuked Phil Spencer’s camp in Fallout 76”. Shortly after this, user real1090jake responded with just the word “Guilty” and a shrug emoji, accompanied by a screenshot of Spencer’s in-game avatar and a short video of the camp, coated in red radioactive fog.
Guilty pic.twitter.com/3n57WOqHXH
— Joe Grizzly Bitch (@real1090jake) May 9, 2024
Why would players nuke Phil Spencer’s Fallout 76 camp?
Spencer has previously garnered support and respect from gamers by showing repeatedly that he himself is one. Players on Reddit cited his extensive library and playtime in games, calling it “refreshing and reassuring” that he plays so much.
However, this has been a tough year for Spencer, starting with the announcement in January that Microsoft would be laying off around 1,900 staff across its gaming division. Then in March, leaks and wild speculation led to the release of a podcast by Xbox to update fans on their future plans. This resulted in the news that several games that were previously Xbox exclusives would be coming to PlayStation, including the award-winning Hi-Fi Rush.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced the closure of three studios owned by ZeniMax, Bethesda’s parent company, which it acquired in 2020, plus the absorption of a further one into the Elder Scrolls Online team.
Xbox President Matt Booty said they needed “smaller games that give us prestige and awards,” seemingly forgetting that Hi-Fi Rush did just that. Fans and developers alike, already upset by the closures, were shocked by Booty’s seemingly tone-deaf statement.
Featured image credit: Bethesda
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