On January 25, Microsoft announced a roughly 9 percent reduction in its workforce In the company’s gaming division, a total of nearly 2,000 employees lost their jobs across Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax and Xbox. Some of these people have worked on Call of dutyone of the largest and most profitable franchises in the industry, suggesting that no one, not even those working in this money-making juggernaut, will be safe when companies decide it’s time to make the “hard decision” to reduce headcount and eliminate roles.
Read more: Microsoft is cutting nearly 2,000 jobs for video game workers
Through social media sites such as LinkedIn and X/Twitter (formerly now) Call of duty Developers say their goodbyes as their jobs are thrown into the company’s trash. Raven Software Community Manager, Austin O’Brien, He announced that he was laid off After three years of working on it War zone. Sledgehammer Games environment artist Ethan Pflug, He was also left behind After three years in this studio. said Hammer system designer Brad Dallaire They are now looking for workwhile the studio’s chief quality assurance officer said they “They basically lost their entire team“As a result of widespread layoffs. Apparently, new branch It was the IT department of Infinity Ward Finish it for one person. until Oh people At Activision-owned High Moon Studios, which helped make it happen Call of duty And Saucepan, I was impressed. It’s a bloodbath.
According to streamer DougDagnabbit, who runs the ModernWarzone Every single one Call of duty studio Affected by layoffs. Although there is no number associated with the destruction, its scale appears to be quite massive.
in Memo to staff obtained IGNXbox President Phil Spencer said it was a “painful decision” to cut nearly 1,900 people from its 22,000-person workforce, and stated that Microsoft would provide “severance benefits informed by local employment laws” to all affected individuals while emphasizing the company’s commitment to “severance benefits informed by local employment laws.” By bringing more games to more players around the world.” the Workers’ Alliance ABKa group of organized employees at Activision Blizzard King, Not very happySays After the disasterNathan Grayson said its members “will continue to work together to try to help and protect our fellow employees, both current and former.”
Almost every year, Call of duty Sells like a gangster. 2023 Modern Warfare IIIOne of the worst reviews Call of duty games in history, Still sold out Kingdom tears. despite of Al-Din ringpopularity, Modern Warfare II It outperformed the Soulslike saga. some Best-selling games on Xbox in 2023 It was old Call of duty Titles. I could go on, but you get it. Almost every time a Call of duty The game comes, regardless Talk about it or The crisis you entered into, the game will inevitably become a best-selling game for Activision Blizzard. However, under capitalism, where your employment is often at the whim of some CEO earning millions — or billions — of dollars, job security is not guaranteed, no matter how successful or profitable the projects you work on.
Kotaku We have reached out to Activision Blizzard and Microsoft for comment.
Read more: 25 days into 2024, it has been announced that more than 5,900 video game workers will be laid off.
All of these layoffs are painful to witness. The year has just begun and Nearly 6,000 people They have already lost their jobs. I would like to believe the saying that “it gets worse before it gets better,” but if not Call of duty Developers are safe from layoffs, and it’s hard to believe the situation will improve anytime soon.
