According to insider reports, Activision Blizzard is now likely closing its offices in Versailles, France. This was reportedly revealed to Blizzard employees this morning.
Where does the information come from? Jason Schreier reports via Bloomberg.com about the events at Blizzard. Schreier is known for having good contacts in the gaming industry and is considered a reliable source. According to his report, three people informed him today that Activision Blizzard conveyed the message to its employees in Versailles on Tuesday morning, October 6th.
The offices in Versailles are to be closed.
What happened at the location in Versailles? Blizzard has offices around the globe where employees work. At the Versailles office, around 400 people were still working for Blizzard in early 2019. They were responsible for marketing, customer support, and translations into various languages. In addition, there were other areas of responsibility for various titles from Activision Blizzard.
It was supposed to go differently
This is what the report says: The sources, whose names were not to be disclosed in the report, speak of different original plans. The plan was actually to relocate half of the office to the London location. However, Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic hindered this plan. This led to the decision to close the location.
It is unclear how many people will now lose their jobs. Allegedly, there will be more detailed information for the employees next week.
Restructuring to Activision: Once, the office in Versailles was solely a unit of Blizzard, responsible for games like Diablo and World of Warcraft. As reported by Bloomberg, during a restructuring, part of the staff was placed under the umbrella of “Activision Blizzard”.
In June 2019, Blizzard Europe laid off 30% of its workforce. The offices in Versailles were also affected. Blizzard employees spoke about the release of Diablo 4 in this context.
Schreier explains: “A recent restructuring made half of the workforce part of Activision Blizzard. Another example of Activision’s growing influence in the company.”
Job posting shows: This could be true
This supports the report: Looking at the job postings at Blizzard, it really looks bad for the location in Versailles. There is exactly one open position posted, and that is for an HR Coordinator. The person is supposed to be responsible for terminating and hiring employees. The job would then be limited until May 2021.
By comparison: In Irvine, Blizzard is currently offering 205 jobs. (via careers.blizzard.com)
The closure of the office in Versailles casts a dark light on the mood within Activision Blizzard.
Already in January 2020, a new insider report showed profound changes at Blizzard. According to insiders, the mood was already “at the bottom” then.
