Activision-Blizzard is apparently closing down one of its offices, specifically the one in Versailles, France. The news comes from Bloomberg, which this morning reported that staff have been told that the studio, which at one point employed around 400 people, will be closed. According to the report, the office covered customer support, localization, and marketing across Europe. The move is a change from an earlier plan to relocate the French team to London.
MMO players will recall that during Activision-Blizzard’s mass-layoffs in 2019, the company cut 800 staffers, including over a hundred people in France, whose labor laws slowed the process and ensured nobody was left without proper severance. We don’t yet know exactly how many people will be affected (though if the math is right, we assume it’s over 250) or whether employees could be transferred elsewhere.
Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the rank-and-file caught up in the chaos right now.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick made $30 million last year. Just something we should be constantly remembering
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) October 6, 2020