The gaming and tech industry has always been an uncertain ground for employees due to rapid shifts in the industry. Studios like Blizzard and Activision have also been on the wrong side of the spectrum, as many ex-employees have complained regarding their work ethics before. That said, an ex-employee from Blizzard called Jason Thor Hall, who is now the lead Game Designer at an indie studio called Pirate Software, has shared his experience working with Blizzard.
While it was not the most pleasant experience for an employee, fans still received some insight into the work ethics of the company.
Also read: Microsoft Layoffs Affect 1,900 Employees Across Activision Blizzard And Xbox
Pirate Software Lead Game Design Talks About His Time at Blizzard
An ex-VFX artist for Blizzard called Chris Sayer made a post after leaving the company, where they talked about the mixed experience they received for working there. According to the post, Sayer had a tough time with management, as they had to deal with issues of a 'fake promotion' and poor HR treatment. Under the post, Pirate Software's official X handle commented, as Jason Thor Hall, the lead game designer of the indie studio shares his personal experience working with Blizzard. Jason's comment under the thread mentioned an unusual work environment when he worked for the company.
Jason has mentioned this in ThePrimeTime's stream while explaining his post, that he has worked with Blizzard for seven long years, as his father was also with the company for 20 years before that. Naturally, he had a better understanding of the work environment there. According to Hall's X comment, during his initial days at Blizzard, Hall worked under a salary of $10.50/hr. He also mentions that it was difficult to live in Southern California with a salary.
Moving forward in the post, he mentions the most unusual way of firing any company has ever done. The post mentions that Night Crew, of which Jason was a part, was given a 'critical task', which they had to complete immediately. The sheet included around 30 steps that the employees had to cover.
The most surprising steps of the tasks were to ask the employees to shut down their computers, stand up from their desks, and leave the room. The post states that the last two people to finish the task late were fired, and the rest of the team was shifted to the 'day crew'. Moreover, the member's pay was also reduced by $0.50/hr, as they no longer had a 'Night Crew Differential.' This is so far the strangest layoff tale the gaming industry has ever heard, and it even comes from an ex-employee who worked at Blizzard for a considerably long time.