Three months have passed since Activision, Blizzard and King Buy were bought Microsoft It’s over. Although a series of changes were expected after this process was completed, today a movement was announced that many did not expect In a statement, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has revealed that 1,900 employees at the company will lose their jobs.
On the morning of January 25, 2024, Spencer shared an email with his employees, which had already reached multiple media outlets, stating that 1,900 employees would lose their jobs. however, The manager assured that Xbox will provide all possible support to make this transition not so heavy.. Here’s what was said about it:
“It’s been just over three months since the Activision, Blizzard and King teams joined Microsoft As we move toward 2024, Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard leadership are committed to aligning a strategy and operational plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the entirety of our growing business. Together, we set priorities, identified areas of overlap, and ensured we were all aligned with the best opportunities for growth.
As part of this process, we made the painful decision to downsize our gaming workforce by approximately 1,900 roles from our 22,000-person team. The Games leadership team and I are committed to navigating this process as carefully as possible. Everyone directly affected by these cuts should be proud of what Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax and the Xbox team have played a part in the success of and what they’ve accomplished here. We are grateful for all the creativity, passion and dedication you bring to our game, our players and our colleagues. We will provide our full support to the affected during relocation, including compensation benefits established by local labor laws. Those whose roles will be affected will be notified and we ask that you treat your departing colleagues with respect and compassion consistent with our values.
Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in areas that will grow our business and support our strategy to bring more games to more players around the world. While this is a difficult time for our team, I am more confident than ever in their ability to create and nurture games, stories, and worlds that bring players together.
Phil”.
This number of layoffs represents 8% of Microsoft’s gaming division’s 22,000 employees. While the Xbox and Zenimax media territories were affected, Blizzard was hit the hardest. Besides, the issue of layoff of more than hundred employees is also known Blizzard President Mike Ybarra has decided to leave the company. Here’s what he said about it:
“I want to thank everyone affected today for their important contributions to the team, Blizzard and the lives of the players. This is an incredibly difficult day and my energy and support will be focused on the incredible people who have been affected; This is in no way a reflection of their incredible work. If I can be of any help, connections, recommendations, etc., send me a private message.
To the Blizzard community: I want to inform you that today is my last day at Blizzard. It has been an absolute honor to lead Blizzard through an incredible period and be a part of the team, shaping it for the future. With over 20 years at Microsoft and the Activision Blizzard acquisition behind us, it’s time for me to (again) become Blizzard’s biggest outside fan.
To the amazing teams at Blizzard: Thank you. Words cannot express how I feel for all of you. fabulous. Keep doing amazing things and always put Blizzard Blue and the player at the forefront of every decision.
To everyone affected today: I am always available to you and understand how challenging today’s news is. My heart goes out to each of you.”
I want to thank everyone affected today for their meaningful contributions to the team, to Blizzard, and to the lives of players. This has been an incredibly difficult day and my energy and support will be focused on all the amazing people affected – this is in no way a reflection of…
— Mike Ybarra 🎄 (@quick) January 25, 2024
Ybarra has worked at Blizzard for 20 years, and his departure will likely hurt morale at the studio. For its part, Xbox has indicated that it will appoint a new president for the company next week. But this is not the end, since Allen Adham, Blizzard’s chief design officer and co-founder, is also leaving the company.
Last but not least, Blizzard has been cancelled The Odyssey, their survival game that they have been working on for the past six years. except However, Matt Booty, head of content for games and studios, has indicated that they will be moving staff so that some of Blizzard’s early development projects can proceed without too many problems.
All these layoffs came out at the same time Multiple similar stories from companies such as Riot Games, Google, Discord, Twitch, Unity, and more. For its part, Microsoft carried out a series of these style changes last year, when 10,000 employees lost their jobs. Unfortunately, this has already become a trend for the industry. On a related topic, you can learn more about Riot Game Hacks here. Likewise, you can view the Xbox Developer_Direct summary here.
Editor’s note:
This is a real problem for the industry. The medium continues to grow and grow, to the point that it is becoming unsustainable. Instead of managers taking over and cutting their extra pay, the ones who suffer are the developers who lose their jobs, or are forced to leave the companies they saw for something better. Unfortunately, it looks like it won’t last.
Through: the edge
