In the first three months of the year, the gaming industry was hit by a wave of massive cuts. During this time, layoffs were announced by more than ten gaming companies. The total number of dismissed, according to PCGamesInsider estimates, is about 1,500 people.
It is difficult to name the exact number. Some companies did not say exactly how many people they fired. For example, it is still unknown how much the staff of the mobile Iron Tiger has decreased.
However, 1,500 people are already more than were laid off for the whole of last year. In 2018, according to the publication, 1400 people lost their places in the industry.
The biggest purge is for Activision Blizzard. In February, the publisher promised to lay off 800 people from Activision, Blizzard, King and some other studios. And just a week ago, Electronic Arts reported about the layoffs. 350 employees are leaving it.
It should be noted that the cuts occurred not only among game developers and publishers. The staff of the GOG distribution platform and the Razer gaming device manufacturer has been reduced.
Layoffs in the gaming industry in 2019
- Activision Blizzard — 800 people;
- Electronic Arts — 350 people;
- ArenaNet — 143 people;
- FireMonkeys — about 50 people;
- Nitro Games — up to 30 people;
- Outplay — up to 30 people;
- Razer — 30 people;
- Next Games — 26 people;
- 5th Planet Games — 14 people;
- Wish Studios — 13 people, studio liquidated;
- Techland — 13 people;
- Valve — 13 people;
- GOG.com — about 12 people;
- Iron Tiger — unknown.
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