Microsoft lays off 1,900 ABK & XGS employees/ Ybarra left Blizzard/ Odyssey cancelled

[CallMeCraig]

thank you all for the numbers

@Saten117

I don’t understand the financial sense to almost double the headcount after selling the company, it would only mean higher costs and bigger redundancy. ABK was really mismanaged and yesterday was a wake up call for everyone.

One thing is the yearly CoD is just madness. The other thing might be Bobby Kodicks ego - got the company to 17k employees and didn’t even do any layoffs. What a business genius! But this is just my speculation.

[Saten117]

@CallMeCraig

thank you all for the numbers

One thing is the yearly CoD is just madness. The other thing might be Bobby Kodicks ego - got the company to 17k employees and didn’t even do any layoffs. What a business genius! But this is just my speculation.

I don’t know, double the headcount to release 2 games in the usual timeline, 1 of which (MW3) was a quick cash grab and recycled assets? Hmm…

[IrishXbox]

I wish XBox never bought ABK

[Doncabesa (Jesse Norris)]

@IrishXbox

I wish XBox never bought ABK

why? To avoid these layoffs? I think they would have happened regardless with the insane growth ABK did from '22 to '23

[Anecronomicon]

@Searsy82

https://www.youtube.com/live/7lhGVsfhFZw?si=P0WMFfFyZ-DKjuku

Hoeg Law discussing the layoffs.

He’s making a lot of sense, as always.

[Searsy82]

@IrishXbox

I wish XBox never bought ABK

This is an odd take. You have no idea how much worse it could have been if they hadn’t.

[Doncabesa (Jesse Norris)]

@SuikerBrood

…2009-2022 Employee numbers: image798×629 15.7 KB 2021 image704×85 17.5 KB 2022

Why did ABK go on such an enormous hiring spree in 2022? The last time they added that many employees was when they acquired King back in 2016. Was it the post-COVID boom?

This is crazy, increasing their headcount by that much that quickly without acquiring someone makes no sense to me.

[howlingmosquito (mosquito)]

@IrishXbox

I wish XBox never bought ABK

I doubt it would still have 15,000 employees if they hadnt.

[IrishXbox]

@Doncabesa

why? To avoid these layoffs? I think they would have happened regardless with the insane growth ABK did from '22 to '23

These are people’s livelihoods at stake Then there are the issues that since the move for the takeover XBox PR has been poor and the push to sell consoles is just not there.

That’s all I’ll say on the subject before being banned

[KakkaKarrotKake]

@IrishXbox

These are people’s livelihoods at stake Then there are the issues that since the move for the takeover XBox PR has been poor and the push to sell consoles is just not there.

That’s all I’ll say on the subject before being banned

I mean they had big console price cuts the last 2 months so clearly they were pushing consoles but if they didn’t buy Activision do you think they’d be pushing harder for consoles sales?

and you’re not going to get banned for having an opinion, lots of people didn’t want them to bother with ABK, it’s just I’m not sure what your logic is

and people were gonna get laid off with or without this acquisition, it’s the state of the industry right now

[Shadowgasm]

@IrishXbox

These are people’s livelihoods at stake Then there are the issues that since the move for the takeover XBox PR has been poor and the push to sell consoles is just not there.

That’s all I’ll say on the subject before being banned

Lol, you’re not going to get banned. A lot of people lamented the fact that during the process MS had to be low key with their PR and other things. As far as people’s livelyhoods, I think it’ll be a net positive for those who didn’t get laid off, and those who did were probably getting laid off regardless at some point. ABK adding that many employees in such a short time didn’t and still doesn’t make any sense.

[Silky]

@OD62

How do you see the future of Activision and Blizzard under Xbox after these decisions? Do you think this will lead Blizzard to return to what made it successful? Will COD move to a cycle of one game every two years in order to focus on quality games? Will Activision studios be able to start working on their own projects? Who will be the new CEO of Blizzard?

Pretty sure Microsoft would still axe 1900 people regardless if the merger went through or not. This is the end result of an industry that doesn’t give a shit abou the workforce that generates their money for them

This is happening at every studio, every publisher, every subsidiary and you as an informed consumer should feel disgusted.

[IrishXbox]

@KakkaKarrotKake

I mean they had big console price cuts the last 2 months so clearly they were pushing consoles but if they didn’t buy Activision do you think they’d be pushing harder for consoles sales?

and you’re not going to get banned for having an opinion, lots of people didn’t want them to bother with ABK, it’s just I’m not sure what your logic is

Sorry don’t want to debate or talk any more on the subject.

[KakkaKarrotKake]

@IrishXbox

Sorry don’t want to debate or talk any more on the subject.

right…

[strawman]

@Silky

Pretty sure Microsoft would still axe 1900 people regardless if the merger went through or not. This is the end result of an industry that doesn’t give a shit abou the workforce that generates their money for them

This is happening at every studio, every publisher, every subsidiary and you as an informed consumer should feel disgusted.

XGS+Zenimax was at ~5000 employees. Absent the merger, cutting 1900 jobs would decimate the division.

[IrishXbox]

@Shadowgasm

Lol, you’re not going to get banned. A lot of people lamented the fact that during the process MS had to be low key with their PR and other things. As far as people’s livelyhoods, I think it’ll be a net positive for those who didn’t get laid off, and those who did were probably getting laid off regardless at some point. ABK adding that many employees in such a short time didn’t and still doesn’t make any sense.

I’ve just come off a ban for not being happy over Xbox games possibly coming out on PlayStation 5 or Switch

So No.

[Knottian (Daniel)]

@nrXic

…oom and bust cycle of the industry. This is to make shareholders happy. But the best thing to do for our industry is to have a more even keel approach in preparation for the cycles. So putting employees on furlough during the bust cycles and then having them work full-time during boom cycles would save a whole lot of money in recruitment and training. It would be healthier for the corporation to do so but shareholders don’t like that. So in our industry I see how shareholders hurt corporations, the industry, and the economy just so they could maximize their dividends. Anyways mods, if this is outside the topic of the thread feel free to delete this post. I’m seeing a pattern across corporations and industries and I don’t think it would be wise to not question the entire system at this point.

Would never delete, this is a perfect example of real-world experiences being shaped by the same analogs we see in the gaming industry. Plus, it’s important for people to know who’s really to blame in these circumstances, especially when seen industries-wide.

@Vivir

It would be considered a complete disappointment if MS didn’t purchase ABK. It did pretty bad for COD game.

We’d probably see even more people laid off if the ABK shareholders were still in charge, that’s the sad part.

It’s going to be a tough tough year for people trying to create these great games for us.

I wish I could grant more likes to this post because it’s a perfect encapsulation and when combined with the above post, is a pretty clear and damning assessment of the unsustainability of the course we’re on with the world’s particular brand of capitalism.

[Doncabesa (Jesse Norris)]

@IrishXbox

These are people’s livelihoods at stake Then there are the issues that since the move for the takeover XBox PR has been poor and the push to sell consoles is just not there.

That’s all I’ll say on the subject before being banned

You are in no danger of being banned as far as I know.

[Sparda3g]

Flag me but…

People need to see the scope of reality. No decision in business will be completely positive or even negative.

[IrishXbox]

@Doncabesa

You are in no danger of being banned as far as I know.

After the way, I was treated. I simply don’t belive you, sorry.