Microsoft Layoffs Commented by Industry. 2024 Could be Black Year
Microsoft alone just fired as many developers as the industry in general had by mid-2023. Lay-offs included Call of Duty developers and Activision Blizzard's physical editions and customer service departments, as well as others.
The gaming industry is experiencing massive layoffs in the first month of 2024, with nearly 2,000 employees of Microsoft's gaming departments, including the CEO of Blizzard, losing their jobs. Developers' comments testify to the consequences of the decision made by the Redmond giant, not just those who were compelled to part ways with the company.
Losses of Call of Duty...
There has likely never been such an overwhelming number of social media posts from developers looking for work or sharing news of job loss. The scale of layoffs isn't surprising, but individual entries demonstrate the extent to which this decision has affected many devs.
All the teams responsible for developing the Call of Duty series, including Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, Raven Software, Treyarch, and High Moon Studios, were among the impacted (via CharlieIntel). Michael "Rzn" Guerra, leader of the multiplayer quality control team at the second of these studios, was said to have lost almost his entire team (via X). Sledgehammer Games was planning to lay off 30% of its employees, and the studio also lost its main office (it went back to remote; via Tom Henderson).
...and victims of Activision Blizzard King
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Many artists, designers, programmers, engineers, developers, and Blizzard managers lost their jobs. In fact, according to Jason Schreier, the scale of layoffs is so great that the employees of Blizzard wrote to him yesterday to find out if they were also among the fired (via X).
Even those who have been spared from layoffs openly express solidarity with their less fortunate colleagues. Also those who were just about to start work. Unless we're talking about Mike Ybarra. The ex-CEO of Blizzard declared his intention to travel around the world, a move that was met with a cold reception by some online users due to the loss of livelihood for many (via Tom Warren).
It's worth noting that the trio Activision Blizzard King (ABK), which was recently acquired, has been subject to the most significant purges. Among those who left the company were 150 individuals who had been working on the Blizzard's canceled survival game (via Tom Henderson). Microsoft was also reported to have fired numerous community managers, all ABK customer service staff, and departments responsible for boxed editions on Xbox (via JezCorden). This aligns with the September rumors suggesting that the new console will only support digital game versions.
Layoffs also affected other Microsoft studios, including Bethesda. Also, it's worth noting that last year, a number of individuals in senior positions at the company or its affiliated studios left, among them Bobby Kotick.
Microsoft shows that big takeovers are a bad idea
Some of the posts are relatively peaceful, but there are also very critical voices present. Some developers note that some of the faired employees had just begun their jobs, which involved relocating to one of the priciest regions in the US, only to lose their positions after just six months (or even four months).
Some developers have clearly expressed their thoughts about their former employer and how much Microsoft disappointed them after the initial optimism among teams following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. They are joined by players who recall, among other things, the fate of the Rare studio, which has done nothing but develop Sea of Thieves since it was bought by the company. Therefore, Internet users argue that we have evidence to support developers' concerns about market consolidation and the mass acquisition of studios.
As for the approach of trade unions, we are receiving conflicting signals. Some of them -- including: Communications Workers of America -- claims that union members haven't been affected by layoffs, at least not on a larger scale. However, ABK Workers Alliance reports (via X) the job loss of "highly active" union members who went on strike over two years ago in response to layoffs at Activision Blizzard.
2024 the year of layoffs
Worst of all, the Redmond giant's decision has led to 5.9 thousand game devs losing their jobs in 2024 - approximately half of all industry layoffs in 2023 (10.5 thousand; via Rami Ismal).
This is very bad news not just for the developers directly affected (indicating they may struggle to find new employment), but also for anyone thinking of entering this job market. One of the affected workers (not for the first time) advised his fired colleagues to hold off on hunting for job offers for the time being.
The only consolation for those laid off are a handful of studios that, contrary to industry trends, are still looking for new employees. These are mainly smaller teams, but it's also possible to come across job opportunities from larger developers. Representatives from companies such as CD Projekt RED, Rockstar Games, Sucker Punch Games, Iron Galaxy Studios, Sony Santa Monica, Wildworks, Q-Games, Fantastic Pixel Castle Studio, and Krafton and PUBG Madison are providing information about recruitment in light of Microsoft's recent layoffs.
Finally, it's important to note that journalist Jez Corden also has concerns about the future of BlizzCon, which made a comeback just last year after a long absence. An event that expensive may not be appealing to a company that has recently laid off nearly 2,000 employees.
