Blizzard eliminates ‘small number’ of roles in China
Blizzard Entertainment has announced layoffs affecting a “small number” of employees in its China operations, according to an internal email from studio president Johanna Faries obtained by Game Developer. While the exact number of affected employees remains unclear, Faries characterized the cuts as part of efforts to evolve Blizzard’s operating model in the region.
According to Faries’s email to staff, the company believes these layoffs will strengthen Blizzard’s regional publishing and product management capabilities, though specific details about which departments or teams were impacted were not disclosed. The announcement comes as part of a larger round of job cuts affecting parent company Activision Blizzard, following Xbox boss Asha Sharma’s announcement of 3,200 layoffs across the organization on July 6.
Faries acknowledged in her communication that the broader company layoffs would be “challenging to navigate” for remaining staff members. The cuts represent continued restructuring at the gaming giant as it adjusts its business operations.