It is reported that Activision-Blizzard has laid off approximately 190 employees, including 50 from the esports division.
Bloomberg Reports indicate that the round of layoffs affected less than 2% of the total number of employees – which stands at around 190 employees. Fifty of those employees work in the company’s esports division. Layoffs of American workers will get 90 days of salary and one year of health coverage, according to Bloomberg reports, and every fired employee will receive a $ 200 Battle.net gift card.
Sports Business Journal Reports said Activision Chairman Tony Bettiti said the layoffs of 50 esports division workers were the result of a shift in the division in times of a pandemic. Betity told SBJ that the company is planning a future where Activision Sports will look different and be less dependent on live events.
Activision also says it will compensate laid-off employees and that despite the move to a new focus on esports, which revolves mainly around the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League, they will not leave live events entirely. The Overwatch League and Call of Duty League have already moved from live events to online events in the past year and SBJ says it could become the benchmark for Activision events in the future.
Petit also says the layoffs were partly to cut costs and free up money to spend in other parts of the business, but it’s important to note that this was mainly about laying off 50 esports workers – Beatty didn’t speak. Reported by Bloomberg.
It is the second time in a few years that the company has laid off a large number of employees. Activision Blizzard fired nearly 800 employees in March 2019, including 209 Blizzard employees.
