Activision Blizzard confirms it will lay off "approximately 8%" of staff Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Activision Blizzard confirms it will lay off "approximately 8%" of staff Equating to almost 800 jobs. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 13 Feb 2019 62 comments As part of its quarterly earnings call to investors, Activision Blizzard has confirmed it will be laying off "approximately eight per cent" of staff. Reports over the weekend suggested that the publisher was set to announce "hundreds" of layoffs this week, and today's news offers further clarity on that figure. Eight per cent of Activision's workforce, which equalled around 9600 employees in 2018, means that approximately 770 members of staff will be affected by job losses. In today's fourth-quarter 2018 earnings report, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick wrote that while the company's financial results for 2018 "were the best in our history, we didn't realise our full potential". As a result, it will be increasing the size of development teams on key franchises - including Call of Duty, CandyCrush, Overwatch, Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Diablo - by around 20 per cent, in order to "accelerate the pace and quality of content for their communities and [to support] a number of new product initiatives". However, the publisher is also "de-prioritising initiatives that are not meeting expectations and reducing certain non-development and administrative-related costs across the business". Although Activision Blizzard did not specify which areas of the business would be hit, Kotaku reports lay-offs will affect staff across Activision, Blizzard, King, and studios such as High Moon. The website also obtained a note to Blizzard employees from company president J. Allen Brack, which said that cuts were being made as a result of "staffing levels on some teams [being] out of proportion with our current release slate". Those affected are promised a "comprehensive" severance package, health benefits, career coaching, job placement assistance, and profit-sharing bonuses for the previous year. I'll update this story as more comes in. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 5 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store