Amid serious layoffs going on at Xbox, there have been concerns over what'll happen at Blizzard, since it was acquired by Microsoft in a landmark deal in 2023. So far, it seems the studio behind World of Warcraft and Overwatch is safe from heavy redundancies, though an internal memo suggests there'll be more updates for the company further down the line.
Windows Central managed to get hold of an email from the desk of Johanna Faries, the president of Blizzard, who addressed concerns to staff. "While you can expect to hear more details regarding the day's events and what they mean for Blizzard in further communications, for now I simply want to acknowledge that today is a difficult day that impacts many people in a range of ways," the dispatch says.
"Please take care of yourself and others in this moment as best as possible," Fairies continues. "In light of today's news I want to thank everyone across Blizzard for moving with focus and creativity behind our strategic priorities, supporting our myriad communities and each other throughout."
Some 3,200 positions within Xbox, across multiple wings of the games divisions, have been impacted. This includes people at studios like id Software, Bethesda, and Arkane, among many others. This is all part of a "reset" Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and CCO Matt Booty has been mentioning for some time, in order to push the company towards financial sustainability.
For the time being, Blizzard seems largely untouched, at least compared to what's happened to other teams, but Microsoft has suggested we'll be seeing more restructuring in the months to come. Being the home of Diablo, Warcraft, and StarCraft, the legendary studio is within its own bubble to an extent, and would require particular attention for any kind of reshuffling or change-up. Besides the fact that these franchises all have huge, active fanbases and live-service infrastructures to consider, you've got BlizzCon, a massive international event that welcomes tens of thousands of fans each year it occurs.
But what happens in the months and years ahead is anyone's guess. It seems likely we'll at least see some fat trimmed off in the form of unannounced projects, and perhaps another push for Warcraft or Diablo to be adapted to the big or small screen. Either way, the only constant is change right now. We'll keep you informed.
