Benzinga - by Franca Quarneti, Benzinga Staff Writer.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ; MSFT) has initiated another round of layoffs at Activision Blizzard Inc., shortly after the tech giant's recent cut of 1,900 jobs.
The esports team at Activision Blizzard seems to be the major focus of this round of layoffs, occurring just days after the conclusion of the Call of Duty League's Boston Breach Major I event, Insider Gaming reported.
Former senior manager of esports operations at Activision Blizzard, Scott Parkin, confirmed the news on Twitter saying: “They did it, they actually did it. They let us work with that over our heads and laid us off on our first day off. The lack of common decency is a joke.”
Caster Matt Morello also confirmed his departure as part of the layoffs. "Unfortunately today, along with a lot of other amazing esports folks, I’ve been let go from Blizzard," Morello wrote on Twitter.
The extent of the layoffs is unknown, and it's unclear if they are part of the previously announced 1,900 cuts. Rumors suggest that only around a dozen people remain in the esports team.
Notably, Microsoft recently appointed former Activision executive Johanna Faries as Blizzard's next president, set to start on Feb. 5.
Activision Blizzard has not provided any comments on the recent layoffs, but sources told gaming journalist Mike Straw that the esports division might be undergoing a restructuring rather than being dissolved entirely, aligning with new business goals for the team.
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