Activision Blizzard requires 3 days of personal work
Activision Blizzard, the developers behind video games like call of Duty And world of warcraft, will require workers to return to the office, at least part of the time, and join other tech companies in imposing in-person work mandates.
Activision Publishing staff is expected to return by April 10, while Blizzard Entertainment developers are expected to return by July 10. Staff from both departments are expected to work in person three days a week.
“We look forward to the increased, real-time, in-person collaboration and opportunities this change will foster,” the company told multiple video game outlets Tuesday.
Activision Blizzard, like other tech companies, is a staunch advocate for remote work, and is now trying to enforce a return-to-office mandate.
Several tech companies including Apple and Google announced their own return-to-office plans over the past year. Last November, Snap said it would ask employees to work in person at least 80% of the time starting in February. Other companies like Disney, Starbucks and Walmart are also trying to get workers back into the office for part of the week.
Activision Blizzard did not immediately respond wealth‘s request for comment.
tweet thread
Activision’s announcement came a day after a Twitter user posing as a Blizzard Entertainment employee shared plans for the return to the office, warning they would cause an “exodus of talent” at the gaming company .
On Monday, Twitter user @LeastMyHairIsOk, who said they work in Blizzard Entertainment’s customer service department, claimed that Activision Blizzard employees “have no interest in returning to the office either full or part time” due to cost of living and health concerns. “That’s not to say nobody sees the value in an office environment, but overall we’ve concluded that the risks don’t [outweigh] those benefits.”
“The leadership is unprepared for what is likely to happen — an exodus of talent if we find work elsewhere,” they say tweeted.
wealth tried to contact @LeastMyHairIsOk for a comment.
The leadership is unprepared for what is likely to happen – an exodus of talent if we find work elsewhere. Other tech jobs pay better and offer WFH, and it’s clear our thoughts on the subject are irrelevant. What incentive do our employees have to stay at ABK? 14.9
— Non Biners, Drive Ins and Dives💙 (@LeastMyHairIsOk) February 14, 2023
Activision Blizzard is currently trying to convince regulators that Microsoft can acquire the game publisher for $69 billion. Regulators fear the deal would be anti-competitive given Microsoft’s popular games such as call of Duty to competitors like Sony’s PlayStation.
The game developer reported net sales of $2.3 billion last quarter, up 7% year over year. The company declined a forecast due to the upcoming takeover by Microsoft.
But the video game industry is preparing for a slump in demand. Game sales have boomed as consumers have stayed at home during the pandemic, but the return to office work and worries about inflation are headwinds for video game publishers.
Working from home in the video game industry
Employees in the video game industry, who often work long hours and have a bad job, have chosen to work from home during the pandemic. According to a 2021 survey by the Independent Games Developers Association, around half of video game workers believed companies would keep the ability to work from home going forward.
However, companies also blamed the disruption to game development on the rapid shift to remote work, as employees struggled to access systems and resources from home, causing game delays during the pandemic.
research out Harvard Business Review in 2021 found that public gaming companies that have switched to remote work reported 4.4 times more delays than before the pandemic, while companies that have not switched to remote work reported fewer delays than before COVID-19 .
Learn how to navigate and build trust in your organization with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter exploring what leaders need to succeed. Login here.
