You are proceeding to a page containing mature content. Is this OK?

check Yes, show me everything
close No, hide anything sensitive

Blizzard Lays Off About 190 Employees

Activision Blizzard is said to have laid off around 190 of their employees, about 2% of the company’s overall workers and serving as part of the company’s intent on reshuffling their plans with esports.

About 50 of the employees were part of Blizzard’s esports division, perhaps indicating either a decline in esports success or Blizzard possibly receiving a revelation that esports is less important than other aspects of the company.

Tony Petitti, an executive at Activision, clarified however that the 50 firings were part of Blizzard’s goal of “refocusing efforts on esports” during the Coronavirus pandemic, saying Blizzard intends to “plan for a future where their esports look different and are less dependent on live events”.

Cutting costs and shifting resources to other areas of the company are also cited as the explanation behind the layoffs:

“In terms of timing, it’s a reaction to the realities of how the leagues are playing and what resources we need to allocate to best serve the league, owners, teams, and fans.”

90 days of severance and health benefits are being granted to fired employees located in the US, and among the handouts include a $200 Battle.net store gift card, which some might see as a bit of a slap in the face.

Past layoffs for Blizzard include a moment in 2019 where about 800 employees were let go, so it is unlikely that this meager release of individuals will have any significant impact on the company.

Leave a Comment

All comments must abide by the commenting rules.

47 Comments