Activision reportedly laying off more than 130 people from Ireland branch

Update, February 22, 2024: An Activision Blizzard representative confirmed for GamesIndustry.biz that the planned layoffs in Ireland were already included in the previously announced round of 1,900 cuts across the company.

Original story, February 19, 2024: Activision Blizzard is reportedly planning redundancies at its Irish office located in Blackpool, Cork.

As reported by the Irish Examiner, Irish deputy prime minister Michéal Martin said 136 people would be affected by the reported cuts. The Cork office employs an estimated 200 people and was originally established in 2007.

Activision has not responded to the reports. GamesIndustry.biz has reached out for further clarification.

The report comes after a spokesperson for the Irish Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment told the Irish Examiner last month that it had "received a collective redundancy notification in relation to potential redundancies at Blizzard Entertainment Ireland Limited."

Irish MP Mick Barry, who is a member of the political party People Before Profit, said employees had raised concerns about the redundancies, and claimed that Activision "refuses to engage with the trade union chosen by these workers to represent them."

Barry added: "Companies should not be allowed to waltz into this country, announce life-changing cutbacks to people's jobs and simply refuse to talk to the representatives chosen by people who have given long years of service to their employer."

The Cork office already experienced redundancies during the wave of Microsoft layoffs in January. This also included Activision's office in Dublin, which reportedly isn't affected by this round of layoffs.

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