Activision Blizzard Studios has laid off a number of employees from its esports division. According to Variety, the layoffs are a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has made in-person events impossible over the last year. While Activision Blizzard’s esports events have continued in an online capacity, it will likely be some time before there can be a return to in-person competitions. The world has made great strides in vaccine production, but the video game industry has been cautious in regards to announcing any in-person events for the duration of 2021. An Activision Blizzard rep released a statement to Variety about the layoffs.
Activision Blizzard had originally announced that the layoffs were 50 people in the esports/live events departments but the real number appears to be much higher. Person familiar says it was less than 2% of total staff (2% would be around 190)
