Activision Blizzard is preparing for the fourth round of layoffs in the past six months.
Sources with knowledge of the situation told GamesIndustry.biz that the company is closing its publishing houses in Europe.
“Players are increasingly opting to connect digitally to our games,” said an Activision Blizzard representative when asked about closures.
“We shared plans with our teams in Europe on how we would evolve as an organization, adapting to this change to serve our players and best position the region for future growth. We will take extensive steps to empower all employees. support and facilitate the transition for those of our colleagues who may be affected by these proposed changes. ”
The company has entered a consultation period in preparation for layoffs at Activision Blizzard offices in Germany, France, Spain, the UK and two offices in the Netherlands.
The idea is to consolidate Activision Blizzard’s European publishing capabilities into a UK hub.
The cuts are reportedly limited to publishing functions and will not affect development or live operations and customer support personnel. They also do not affect King’s offices in the UK, Sweden, Germany and Spain.
US-based Activision Blizzard has recently been reshaping its international operations. Last October, it closed other offices in France and the Netherlands, followed by a series of planned cuts to its Asia Pacific offices the following month.
In the publisher’s 2017 annual report, it reported a peak of 36 international offices. Activision Blizzard has not yet published the 2020 annual report, but the international offices were reduced to 31 when the 2019 annual report was published in April last year.
Activision Blizzard’s layoffs are not limited to staff overseas. Earlier this week, it confirmed the layoffs of about 50 people involved in its live events and esports activities, including US staffers.