Activision Blizzard lays off about 50 in its esports division

Activision Blizzard has let go of about 50 workers in its esports division, because the Sports activities Enterprise Journal first reported.

The writer blames the choice on the affect the pandemic has had on reside occasions. Activision Blizzard had invested closely in on-stage esports reveals with crowds, together with with the Overwatch League, which had Blizzard promoting a premium for the best to personal a crew. COVID-19 compelled Blizzard to maneuver its aggressive occasions to on-line solely affairs.

“Gamers are more and more selecting to attach with our video games digitally,” an Activision Blizzard spokesperson advised GamesBeat. “Every thing we do is thru the lens of our gamers, and over the previous 12 months, we have now been exploring how we’d greatest serve their wants. The esports crew, very similar to conventional sports activities, leisure, and broadcasting industries, has needed to adapt its enterprise as a result of affect the pandemic has had on reside occasions. We retained a overwhelming majority of the crew all through a fancy 12 months and these adjustments weren’t made frivolously, notably within the present setting. We’re taking in depth steps to ease the transition for all affected workers.”

The spokesperson additionally famous that reside occasions will nonetheless be part of Overwatch League and Name of Obligation League’s future, as soon as they’re protected to take action.

With the impacted jobs associated to occasions planning, the precise gamers, leagues, and groups themselves ought to be unaffected. However we could possibly be seeing a larger emphasis on on-line competitions for a very good whereas into the long run.