Activision Blizzard confirmed during its quarterly earnings call that it is cutting 8% of its workforce.
While an exact figure hasn’t been revealed, it is likely we’re looking at nearly 800 people out of work given that Activision had around 9,600 employees last year. The publisher has started informing those affected by the layoffs, which cover Activision, Blizzard, and King.
CEO Bobby Kotick revealed that the job losses are part of a goal to reduce unnecessary spending, with Activision looking to focus on core franchises and restructure the company.
While the publisher recorded a solid Q4, Kotick observed that 2018 ‘didn’t quite live up to our expectations,’ and as a result the company’s ‘outlook for 2019 falls below what is possible in an industry filled with growth opportunities.’
In addition, Blizzard chief J. Allen Brack said in a letter to staff (via Kotaku) that people affected by the cuts would benefit from a ‘comprehensive severance package.’
‘Over the last few years, many of our non-development teams expanded to support various needs,’ he said. ‘Currently staffing levels on some teams are out of proportion with our current release slate. This means we need to scale down some areas of our organization. I’m sorry to share that we will be parting ways with some of our colleagues in the U.S. today. In our regional offices, we anticipate similar evaluations, subject to local requirements.’
