I feel so bad for these people, where are they going to get their free refrigerated breast milk from now?
The video game industry had undergone drastic changes over the past few years, with layoffs and bloat trimming being the main topic of discussion. With various studios undergoing massive layoffs such as Bungie, to other studios being dissolved altogether such as Volition and Luminous Productions. Bidenomics is in full swing as we’re bound for another gaming crash.
Just four months after Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision was completed, the company is preparing to lay off approximately 1,900 employees from its XBOX division.
In 2023, Microsoft had a significant year with the culmination of legal battles leading to the long-awaited acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This acquisition not only expanded Microsoft’s presence as a technology giant but also bolstered its gaming division in terms of size and scope.
However, 2024 is shaping up to be a different story for Microsoft, as reports indicate that the company is planning to lay off 1,900 employees from its XBOX division, which includes recently acquired entities like Activision and Bethesda.
Following the completion of the acquisition, Phil Spencer expressed intentions to foster a culture that encourages everyone to excel in their work. Yet, now, only four months later, Microsoft is implementing layoffs affecting a significant number of employees, particularly those associated with Activision Blizzard.
According to The Verge, the layoffs at Microsoft Gaming division represent approximately 8 percent of the total workforce, which stands at around 22,000 employees. This comes following layoffs at other notable companies like Twitch, Riot Games, and Google.
In an email addressed to the staff, Activision President Rob Kostich acknowledged the organizational changes, stating, “Across AP, we have made organizational changes to reset and re-align our resources for the future.” He expressed gratitude for the team’s efforts and assured support for those affected by the layoffs.
Furthermore, Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Ybarra has abruptly departed from the company. The Verge reports that Microsoft intends to appoint a new president for Blizzard next week.
Additionally, Blizzard’s upcoming survival IP game has been scrapped, with resources being redirected to other promising projects in the early stages of development.
Developers from all of Activision’s Call of Duty studios were impacted by the layoffs, including but not limited to Infinity Ward, High Moon Studios, Raven Software, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games.
Former Raven Software Associate Community Manager, Austin O’Brien, expressed, “I hope the CoD community understands that I prioritized your voices every single chance that I got,” followed by, “There was never a day I didn’t wake up and do my best to serve y’all. Did it always work? No, because I’m just one person. But dammit, I tried!”
Unfortunately, some developers learned about their team’s layoffs through social media. Michael Guerra, Senior QA Lead at SHG, stated, “I lost basically my entire team. I am at a loss for words right now.”
Similarly, Matt Hansen, formerly from High Moon Studios, shared, “I have been affected by today’s layoffs. I’m devastated and heartbroken, but can’t say I’m surprised.”
The reasoning behind the mass layoffs amongst the video games industry is quite apparent. The economy is going to complete and utter shit, everybody is making less money, that includes large corporations who seemingly have to cut excess personnel to salvage their operations.
Combine economic woes with ESG firms going bust left and right, AAA developers employ too many individuals, ESG money is running dry and the economy is in shambles. It’s no wonder why companies are sacking employees left and right.
I sure do love the excuse people have for these lost jobs too, they’re “real people” which obviously means that we are supposed to care and be compassionate that their job working for one of the most heinous video game corporation has come to an abrupt end?
Nah. Those sacked from the likes of Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games for instance are incompetent at best. They have done absolutely nothing but continually recycled premade assets into regressive amalgamations of microtransactional laced bullshit.
I am supposed to feel sorry for these people?
I’m actually glad that they’re gone. Their incompetence and lack of skill is the very reasoning as to why the Call of Duty franchise has drastically changed over the last decade, excluding the cancerous pushing of microtransaction content, the games as a whole are bland and buggy. Campaigns are horribly written and seemingly get shorter every single year.
These people cannot handle criticism, they are the kinds of people who’d tell blue collar workers who’ve complained about being fired to “learn to code.” Likewise. Just because these developers are “real people” doesn’t mean that they are good people, they are contributing to the excessive fat positioned at Activision Blizzard that are not only expendable but easily replaceable through outsourcing, which most developers do anyway resulting in rubbish, unoptimized, progressive dung.
While these replaceable lemmings are being ousted, rest assured that former CEO, Bobby Kotick will be getting his “well deserved” golden parachute severance package.
