Media: Blizzard was barely affected by the layoffs at XBOX
A wave of layoffs in Microsoft's gaming division might have nearly bypassed Blizzard Entertainment. This is reported by journalist Jez Corden from Windows Central.
Diablo IV
According to Corden's sources, Blizzard has reduced a "minimal" number of employees. The exact number is not specified, but supposedly fewer people were affected in its team than in many other XBOX subsidiaries.
Corden also shared an internal letter from Blizzard president Johanna Faries, which doesn't mention mass layoffs specifically at Blizzard. However, the letter contains an important line: Faries warned that layoff announcements might appear later. Considering that Microsoft plans to conduct layoffs in several stages, it's possible that Blizzard’s turn has simply not yet fully arrived.
Another piece of evidence for the absence of truly large layoffs in the studio was a social media post by Blizzard narrative designer Benjamin Wagner. In this post, the specialist stated that no union member at Blizzard lost their job under the current XBOX restructuring. However, not all studio employees are union members (and there are several unions at Blizzard), so definitive conclusions cannot be made.
Overall, Microsoft plans to dismiss 3,200 people from XBOX. Of these, 1,600 are being laid off now, and another 1,600 will leave the corporation by June 30, 2027.