Activision Blizzard lays off hundreds of staff
Nearly 800 employees out of work.
Activision Blizzard has laid off hundreds of staff across its various subsidiaries including Activision, Blizzard, and King, the company confirmed.
In the earnings call for its fourth quarter and 2018 financial results today, the company said that it expects an overall eight percent staff reduction—nearly 800 employees—and that it plans to mainly reduce non-game-development departments and add to its development staff for franchises such as Call of Duty and Diablo.
In a note sent to staff, Blizzard president J. Allen Brack told employees that “staffing levels on some teams are out of proportion with our current release slate.”
It continued, “This means we need to scale down some areas of our organization. I’m sorry to share that we will be parting ways with some of our colleagues in the U.S. today.”
A “comprehensive severance package” and job assistance is promised for those laid off. Square Enix has also put out a notice to those affected that it is looking to add personnel to its work force.