The Gaming Industry Reacts to News of Looming Activision-Blizzard Layoffs

Yesterday news broke that Activision-Blizzard would layoff hundreds of employees this Tuesday, [...]

By Liana 'LiLi' Ruppert - February 9, 2019 12:10 pm EST

Yesterday news broke that Activision-Blizzard would layoff hundreds of employees this Tuesday, solidifying worries that have been building at an alarming rate over the past 6 months. As more and more studios face this brand of devestation, the industry is reacting with many calling for unionization.

From other studios like Naughty Dog, to games media, the reaction has been intense as employees brace for the week ahead:

Activision Blizzard is full of great people and some dear friends. I hope the rumors of impending layoffs aren't true. Whatever the future holds, here are all the open roles at @Naughty_Dog on The Last of Us Part II. Follow @NaughtyDogJobs for any new openings. pic.twitter.com/K3Ir6QSufB
— Scott Lowe (@ScottLowe) February 9, 2019

The news about alleged Activision/Blizzard layoffs next week could mean hundreds of great game makers will be without work. We can't have that.

PLEASE RT this document: a massive list of game dev job opportunities across the world. Help folks find work!//t.co/UkzvwvyLTi
— Mitch Dyer (@MitchyD) February 9, 2019

With the report about Activision Blizzard layoffs coming, I'm seeing people align executive compensation to potential job loss. I DO understand the cognitive dissonance, but I think it's important to resurface this thread from a month ago on the topic. //t.co/75CbYAENoh
— Mike Futter (@Futterish) February 9, 2019

Some context on the Activision-Blizzard layoffs, which may leave hundreds of people without jobs, are expected early next week, and have been looming for a long time: //t.co/yj7ZMIZ9Ik pic.twitter.com/tTeHpsAHzd
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) February 9, 2019

Anyone surprised by the layoffs at Activision Blizzard wasn't paying attention for the past 10 years. Restructuring, layoffs and studio closures looks like an annual "best practice" at ATVI. @jasonschreier pic.twitter.com/HlpQAnzpyI
— Pierre-André Déry (@pierreandredery) February 9, 2019

Activision Blizzard is set to layoff employees on Tuesday which could number in the hundreds of people, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The layoffs "are part of a restructuring aimed at centralizing functions and boosting profit". Ouch. //t.co/7qRce8Hird pic.twitter.com/4UhWPGb6fi
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) February 9, 2019

We're sorry to hear about the layoffs at #Activision #Blizzard . If you've been affected by the layoffs, check out our open positions, we're hiring Artists and Programmers! //t.co/amdVdR68dB #gamejobs #gamedev
— Gunfire Games (@gunfire_games) February 9, 2019

There are so many developers and gamers alike joining together following the revelation. It's never an easy position to be in, especially seeing all of that hard work and all of those sleepless nights of being a developer end up with nothing but an exit sign and no severance pay.

This has been a development we've been following for months now, years even. To catch up on the evolution as it's progressed thus far, you can check out our previous coverage here.

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