author: Michael Kulakowski
Activision Closes French Branch of Blizzard
The French branch of Blizzard, which is mainly responsible for marketing and localization of the studio's games in Europe, was closed down by Activision. This is a result of the increasing control that the company has over its in-house developer, which enjoyed great autonomy only a few years ago.
French news websites report that Activision has decided to definitively close the French branch of Blizzard, based in Versailles near Paris. For many years, it was responsible for marketing, technical support and localization of the developer's games in Europe. It also performed many additional functions related to e.g. organization of events or trade fairs. For now we do not know who will take over these responsibilities. Perhaps it will be the British branch of Activision.
The Versailles office has already undergone a major restructuring last year. As a result, 130 people from a 400-strong team were released. As part of cost reduction, Activision wanted to move part of the French team to London for several years, but these plans were thwarted by Brexit and COVID-19. Apparently the best solution to the problem, at least in the eyes of the company, was to completely close the branch.
Blizzard has invested a lot of money in a French office, whose entrance was guarded by huge statue of Kerrigan from StarCraft for the last twelve years.
The Versailles office was a burden for Activision mainly due to high labour costs and strict regulations protecting workers' rights. They require, for example, negotiations with the government in the case of collective layoffs, as well as various compensation guarantees. Such bureaucratic obstacles are, of course, unacceptable to the giant, which is known for its less-than-stellar treatment of its American subordinates, which resulted in this year's protests.
It is worth noting that from the very beginning the French office was an integral part of Blizzard and was founded on the initiative of its bosses. For some time now Activision, which owns the studio, has been visibly interfering in its operations and structure. For many fans it heralds the imminent death of the once adored developer. For many years, Blizzard enjoyed great autonomy within the company, but over time, corporate interests prevailed over maintaining good relations with the fan community and employees, which guarantee the creation of high quality games.