Microsoft Layoffs Cull Call of Duty League
Be wary of the spin. XBox business is down sharply, so Microsoft lumps that in with another company's business and boasts "growth". This other company's business is shrinking, just like XBox:
In the news right now (recent hours):
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Call of Duty League loses 80% of staff amid Microsoft layoffs
Activision Blizzard has made significant cuts to their esports department, letting go of all of its Call of Duty League observing team and a majority of its production staff just days after the conclusion of the CDL Major 1 in Boston.
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The future of the Call of Duty League has never felt more bleak
After the failure and closure of the Overwatch League and the direction the CDL seems to be headed, it just feels like esports got too big for itself. The downturn of esports is not specifically a CoD problem, but the CDL’s seemingly impending downfall is a symptom of it.
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Microsoft Layoffs Ensue
Taking the fun out of gaming, announcements about Microsoft layoff plans are now making the rounds, with the company narrowing down on their Xbox, ZeniMax, and Activision Blizzard employees this time. According to reports, Microsoft is planning to lay off 1900 employees from its 22,000-strong gaming workforce to better align themselves with their strategy to support their growing business. After more than a year of negotiations, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard was finally completed in October last year, with a $68.7 billion deal to seal the agreement. Ever since then, there has been considerable uncertainty over whether the full force of the team would be retained or if layoffs would ensue to balance out the forces. The news of the Activision Blizzard layoffs finally answers the question.