As Microsoft workers reel from news of impending mass-layoffs of 1900 employees, we’ve received more clarity on which specific Activision-Blizzard teams are being slashed to the bone by new owner Microsoft and how many of those 1900 are represented by ABK.
The latest revelation is that the job cuts will include 86 employees from Toys for Bob, a subsidiary that’s worked on Crash Bandicoot and Skylanders. Toys for Bob is a 35-year-old developer that made billions with its Skylanders sales back in the mid-2010s. Activision-Blizzard acquired the studio back in 2005.
Microsoft’s California filing clarifies that it’s planning a total of 812 layoffs for Activision-Blizzard on March 30th, including 478 in its core office center in Irvine. At its height, ABK alone employed over 13,000 workers, making these massive cuts indeed.
Update: This article was updated after publication as Activision-Blizzard reps confirmed that these layoffs are indeed part of the 1900 job cuts Microsoft announced in January. (So much for a “vertical” acquisition.)
