Activision Blizzard Esports fires 50 employees

Activision Blizzard Esports has announced a restructuring that will lay off about 50 people, a move that executive Tony Petitti said is a result of the company having to reinvent itself amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The company said it retained the vast majority of its employees throughout 2020, but now has to implement changes. Activision said it is keeping those who lose their jobs informed and that they will receive appropriate severance pay.

Petitti also acknowledged that the cuts were caused by a combination of the need to cut costs as well as reallocate certain resources to other areas.

Petitti noted that CDL, which has already started its 2021 season, has shown some growth over last season in key performance indicators, and the company wants to spend more on areas where it feels it can increase engagement, audience and value for itself and their partners. Petitti, who reports to Activision CEO Bobby Coty, noted that discussions about how best to structure the League have been going on for months.