Update: King has subsequently confirmed to PocketGamer.biz that only one person was “affected by the changes” at the company. No further details were shared regarding the exact reasoning or department where the employee departed.
A further statement was provided to PocketGamer.biz concerning the overall layoffs:
“The esports team, much like traditional sports, entertainment, and broadcasting industries, has had to adapt its business due to the impact the pandemic has had on live events,” it read.
“We retained a vast majority of the team throughout a complex year and these changes were not made lightly, particularly in the current environment. We are taking extensive steps to ease the transition for all affected employees.”
Original Story: Activision Blizzard has laid off a number of staff across various departments of the company.
Bloomberg reports that 50 members of staff were fired from its esports and live ops divisions, while overall layoffs were nearly 190, or around two per cent of all employees.
However, these cuts have also affected King, the company’s mobile arm, behind titles such as Candy Crush Saga and the upcoming Crash Bandicoot: On the Run.
“Players are increasingly choosing to connect with our games digitally, and the esports team, much like traditional sports, entertainment and broadcasting industries, has had to adapt its business due to the impact the pandemic has had on live events,” an Activision spokesperson said.
$200 gift card
It was also reported that those affected in the US will be given a minimum severance of 90 days, while health benefits will remain for a year. Those made redundant will also be provided with “job transitions support”, though it’s unclear what this actually means.
Staff members let go were also given a $200 gift card to Blizzard’s games service, Battle.net.
PocketGamer.biz has reached out to Activision and King for comment.
The news of these layoffs may come as a surprise given the company had committed to hiring more than 2,000 members of staff, though this did follow Activision cutting eight per cent of its team in 2019, despite “record revenue.”
Additional reporting by Matthew Forde
