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Activision Blizzard Reportedly Lays Off Nearly 190 Employees, Severance Packages Include $200 Battle.net Gift Card

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Activision Blizzard Lays Off 190 Employees

Activision-Blizzard has reportedly fired nearly 190 employees, 50 of which are from their esports division.

The new report (via Bloomberg, Sports Business Journal) notes the layoffs affect less than 2% of the company’s total workforce, or roughly 190 employees.

Staff that were based in the United States will reportedly receive a minimum of 90 days of severance and health benefits for up to a year. The severance package also includes a $200 gift card to the Battle.net store, which is Activision Blizzard’s online store.

Activision executive Tony Petitti noted the 50 esports layoffs were the result of the company refocusing their efforts on esports while the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. Petitti noted Activision Blizzard is looking to plan for a future where their esports look different and are “less dependent on live events.”

Petitti also noted the layoffs are also, naturally, due to new measures on cutting costs, shifting resources to other parts of the company. “In terms of timing, it’s a reaction to the realities of how the leagues are playing and what resources we need to allocate to best serve the league, owners, teams, and fans,” Petitti said.

This is the latest round of layoffs in the past several years, with nearly 800 employees fired back in March 2019. Despite this, Activision Blizzard remains optimistic for the future and is still expecting to hire thousands of new staff in 2021.

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