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So far, testers say that the studio has not been very communicative about these structural changes. Developers learned the news of the layoffs mostly from word of mouth, which added to the unease felt by QA staff. A source told Kotaku: “This wasn’t a normal end. They just decided to gut the studio. I’ve heard so far that they’ve lost 1/3 of their QA and it is still ongoing into next week.” Kotaku reached out to Activision, but they did not respond at the time of publication.

These layoffs came in spite of Activision Blizzard’s high third quarter profits, which were higher than they were in 2020. It isn’t the first time that Activision Blizzard has cut its workforce during a successful year. CEO Bobby Kotick collected record bonuses this March amidst an estimated 190 layoffs. Activision Blizzard also laid off 800 staff in 2019 despite “record results.” Kotick has a reputation for harsh cost-cutting measures, and prided in a “culture of thrift” at the company. Activision Blizzard is also currently under considerable public scrutiny for gender harassment and discrimination, alongside floundering attempts at managing their public image.

“Lots of amazing, highly competent testers getting laid off after YEARS of crunch after crunch after crunch,” wrote one QA tester on social media. “I’m as furious as I am shattered.”