Esports tournaments from multiple titles took a big hit last year when the global pandemic forced them into online-only streams. Activision Blizzard esports leagues were in no way spared from the brunt of the COVID-19 damage. Now, it looks like Activision Blizzard aims to continue its brand new online-only streaming setup down the line. In a report by the Sports Business Journal, Activision Blizzard will allegedly lay off around 50 employees. Additionally, these cuts affect both Call of Duty and Overwatch leagues.

A NEW ERA FOR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD ESPORTS

The Overwatch League and Call of Duty League were both conceptualized as something similar to traditional sports leagues. However, the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way of plans and led to online streaming events. Now, Activision Blizzard Sports and Entertainment president Tony Petitti shared his company's vision for future esports events.

“We learned a lot last year how the online leagues can be structured. We look to carry forward the best practices from that. In terms of timing, it’s a reaction to the realities of how the leagues are playing and what resources we need to allocate to best serve the league, owners, teams, and the fans.”

Activision won't completely forego live events but the changes necessitate the departure of several employees. The company will award a minimum of 90 days severance pay, health benefits for one year, and a USD 200 Battle.net gift card for US-based former-employees.

Surprisingly, the massive game developer recently reported USD 8 Billion in net revenue. Apparently, one way of retaining high earnings would be to completely cut back on employees. Activision Blizzard promised to make significant progress for future plans but several employees have paid the price. Regardless, the gaming company remains optimistic that its decision build toward the esports leagues it hopes to create. Some sources claim that the total lost jobs amount to over 100.