Two high profile mobile game teams have been hit as part of the 650 Microsoft Gaming layoffs announced this week.
We’ve asked Microsoft/Activision Blizzard for comment and clarification on how many staff are affected, and will update this story if or when they respond. But team members on Warcraft Rumble and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile have been posting on LinkedIn about the job losses, with the Rumble team apparently suffering the heaviest losses.
Multiple staff in Warcraft Rumble’s art, production and engineering teams have announced their departures on LinkedIn, as have people in Warzone Mobile’s content design and live ops teams. Variety and GameFile have also each reported that the Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile team has been downsized.
Warcraft Rumble production director Jackie Bacal Head said on LinkedIn: “Today was an incredibly hard day for the Warcraft Rumble team. We were affected by layoffs and lost a number of really professional, talented, and good human beings across the board.”
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of individuals who came together, worked hard, was passionate about our game, but also in the amount of care for each other. To specifically call out our production team, they are solid, top-notch, and tackled challenges with such a positive attitude. I am truly going to miss our jam and share convo card laughs.”
Warcraft Rumble art director Jeremy Collins also posted about the layoffs on LinkedIn, saying: “It’s been an extremely difficult day for the Warcraft Rumble team today. We lost a lot of very talented, passionate and creative developers to lay offs.”
“If you see me reposting other devs, just know that this is the most talented team of game makers I’ve ever worked with, and you would be more than fortunate to have any one of them on your teams.”
We will update this story with any official comment or clarification we receive from Microsoft. Earlier this week, a leaked internal email obtained by IGN from Xbox chief Phil Spencer stated that the platform giant would be making 650 layoffs. In the email, Spencer insisted that “No games, devices or experiences are being cancelled and no studios are being closed as part of these adjustments”.
