According to a US site, Blizzard is expected to lose several high-ranking employees soon – particularly in the eSports sector, the departure of key figures appears imminent. The news comes after the head of the Overwatch League has already left Blizzard.
Where does the information come from? The information comes from the site Dexerto. They claim to have received internal details from sources familiar with the matter, but whose names should not be disclosed.
Dexerto states that they have a list featuring experienced individuals who are expected to leave soon. Additionally, they publish some quotes from the sources regarding what is currently driving people out of Blizzard.
Who is supposed to leave? One name has been published by Dexerto. Allegedly, Kim Phan, Global Product Director of Blizzard Esports, is set to leave. She has been with the company for 13 years and has specifically been responsible for eSports for several years.
In an interview with Dotesports from late 2018, Phan explained that her job is to manage eSports at Blizzard – except for Overwatch and Hearthstone. Although Phan used to work on both games, by now they have become so large that they have their own leads.
Phan has helped to grow Blizzard’s eSports team from about 6 to over 60 employees in recent years. Phan spends most of her time with franchises like Heroes of the Storm, World of Warcraft, or Starcraft, she stated back in December 2018.
He has already left: The news that people are supposed to leave Blizzard comes immediately after the departure of Nate Nanzer, the head of the Overwatch League.
He switched to competitor Epic Games to further develop eSports for Fortnite.
Allegedly, Activision cares too much about money in eSports
What is the problem at Blizzard? Dexerto reports that there is growing dissatisfaction within Blizzard’s eSports team regarding the direction Activision is taking.
Some employees are tired of working under Pete Vlastelica. He is the President and CEO of Activision Blizzard eSports.
Vlastelica is allegedly focusing on the commercialization of eSports rather than developing good programs for the community.
Many hold Vlastelica responsible for this negative development, according to the sources. It weighs on morale, particularly among the teams of Overwatch and Call of Duty.
Vlastelica comes from traditional television, from the US network Fox. He was responsible for digital output and content creation there. Some employees at Blizzard doubt that this experience equips him to make decisions in eSports.
The sources say they feel that management at Activision Blizzard does not understand eSports and pursues a vision of presenting eSports as it is shown on television. This makes some people unhappy. However, management is not willing to discuss this.
Is this plausible? The report from Dexerto aligns with the developments we have observed in recent months:
- Activision has apparently imposed a cost-saving strategy on Blizzard, to focus more on developing new games and reduce the surrounding costs
- The eSports for Heroes of the Storm has been canceled or at least severely restricted
- There were nearly 800 layoffs despite record revenues
- And recently, reports have emerged that companies are struggling to make money with eSports
All of this makes the report from Dexerto quite credible. Still, for the moment, it remains a rumor. There is no official statement from Phan or Activision Blizzard.
