Remote employees are being forced to return to Activision-Blizzard’s offices

Full-time remote work at the publisher and its studios is reportedly being abolished, forcing staff to return to physical office spaces in the coming months.

The details:

• Activision-Blizzard employees have taken to social media to denounce the company's "return to office plan." Depending on the studio, employees will be required to return to the offices in April or June. As a result of the change, some employees must now relocate back to the city where they were hired or quit if they do not wish to.
• Twitter user LeastMyHairIsOk, who works at Blizzard, posted a lengthy thread of tweets in which they expressed their thoughts on the plan. They shared that the shift to remote working was not only beneficial to employees in terms of lowering the risk of contracting COVID-19, but also in terms of lowering the cost of living, as some relocated further away from the cities where the offices are based. Staff from lower-earning departments have already made alterations to their living styles to reduce costs in the increasingly challenging economy, but have also "pleaded with leadership to include yearly CoL adjustments into salary" for "over a decade now.”
• Prior to the Twitter thread, Reddit user DrHilarious PHD shared a screenshot of an email from the company, revealing that Activision QA staff must work from the office three times a week beginning April 10 if they are based in El Segundo, Austin, or Minneapolis, with all full-time remote QA positions being eliminated.
• Following VGC's report on the situation, a company spokesperson confirmed that it had updated its work plans, stating that the program was put in place based on "what's best for our business and our teams" and that it looked forward to the "increased real-time, in-person collaboration and opportunities this change will foster.”

What else is happening at Activision-Blizzard?

• Despite initial rumors of Call of Duty (COD) missing a full release in 2023 for the first time since COD 2, Insider Gaming has confirmed with sources that the publisher has opted to go ahead with a new game. Sledgehammer Games will lead the title's development, with other COD studios collaborating on the project, similar to Modern Warfare II.
• The Diablo IV open beta date could be revealed at the upcoming IGN Fan Fest. Blizzard Senior Vice President Rod Fergusson responded to a tweet asking for more beta information by saying that an announcement would be made "soon.”