Activision Blizzard lays off 50 employees.
Activision Blizzard lays off 50 employees.
Will the Overwatch League Survive Activision Blizzard’s Layoffs?
Around 50 employees, who were part of Activision Blizzard’s eSports team, have unfortunately been laid off, leaving many to wonder about the fate of the division. The Overwatch League, which has already faced some challenges, might experience further impact from these recent layoffs. But fear not, fellow gamers! We’ll dive into the juicy details and try to decipher what this means for the future of this beloved eSports competition.
First things first, let’s talk about Overwatch 2. Its launch received a mixed reception, thanks to the substantial changes made compared to its predecessor. Despite the decline in popularity of the Overwatch League, there are still loyal fans out there who cheer for their favorite teams and eagerly anticipate each eSports match. It’s worth noting that the layoffs occurred around the same time that Activision Blizzard decided to rework the Overwatch League agreement terms. Coincidence? We think not.
The news of about 50 employees being laid off from Activision Blizzard’s eSports sector was originally reported by The Verge. These unfortunate team members were caught off guard and weren’t even offered alternative positions within the company. Shocking! It turns out that these employees were working on new tournament tools for the Overwatch League, which might have played a vital role in the upcoming competition. However, these tools haven’t been incorporated into Overwatch 2 yet. This has led some developers to question the game’s future, and understandably so!
But hold on, there’s more! After the current Overwatch League season concludes, teams will vote on an updated agreement. If they choose to decline it, each team could be paid a whopping $6 million. If all teams opt out of renewing their agreements with Activision Blizzard, the company will have to fork out approximately $114 million. One of the laid-off employees commented that Activision Blizzard is ill-prepared to internally support further Overwatch League matches without the necessary support team. Things are looking dire for the eSports division, especially since Overwatch 2 is preparing to jump from Battle.net to other PC storefronts like Steam.
While Overwatch 2’s move to Steam might attract more players, the eSports division might not be able to recover in time for the launch on the platform. Viewership for the Overwatch League has been on the decline, and it’s possible that Activision Blizzard decided that maintaining the eSports division was too costly. Perhaps the changes to the Overwatch 2 eSports scene were part of Activision Blizzard’s plan all along. However, we can’t help but wonder if Microsoft’s pursuit of acquiring the company played a role in these decisions. Only time will tell.
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In the meantime, Overwatch 2 is available for play on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. So jump in, have some fun, and let’s hope for the best for the future of the Overwatch League!
Source: The Verge