UPDATE: Raven Software Lays Off Members Of Its QA Team

Update 12/03/21 7:19 p.m. Central time: A caller report from The Washington Post further details today's layoffs astatine Raven Software. According to the outlet, "at slightest a dozen" contractors connected Raven's QA squad person been fto go. As the outlet points out, that's astir one-third of the QA department's wide testers. More contractors are expected to beryllium told betwixt today, December 3, and adjacent Wednesday, December 8, if they're being promoted oregon laid-off, Washington Post writes. 

According to the report, Activision-Blizzard has ended its staffing concern with the institution Tapfin. It volition beryllium expanding its concern alternatively with the institution Volt. Contractors not affected by today's layoffs volition present beryllium Volt employees. They volition besides person a $1.50 raise, bringing their hourly full up to $18.50 per hour, and accrued bonuses and benefits, employees told Washington Post. 

Employees affected by layoffs volition person their contracts ended connected January 28, though according to the outlet's report, radical are allowed to permission the institution earlier if they truthful choose. Some person already chosen to bash conscionable that, the outlet says. 

Read The Washington Post's full study astatine the link. 

Original story: Raven Software, 1 of the superior improvement studios down Activision's yearly Call of Duty series, has laid disconnected a fig of radical wrong its QA section – immoderate of which precocious relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, wherever the institution is based. 

News of the communicative archetypal broke connected Twitter, wherever Raven squad members began posting astir the layoffs, criticizing the company's decision, and asking radical to scope retired with immoderate imaginable enactment for those affected. As of this writing, it's unclear however galore radical were laid off. 

"Our QA squad does unthinkable enactment but this volition not lone summation their workload but crush morale," 1 Raven worker said connected Twitter. In a abstracted tweet, they said the layoffs occurred contiguous aft radical "were promised, for months, that Activision was moving towards a wage restructure to summation their wages."

"This is sickening," different worker posted to Twitter. "I've watched my colleagues 1 by 1 accidental they're being fto spell aft being promised that things would beryllium better. The devs being fired are prima workers and astonishing people, fto spell conscionable to prevention a mates bucks connected everyone else's promotion. #FireBobbyKotick instead," they said, referencing the ongoing issues surrounding Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who it was precocious reported had known for years, arsenic good arsenic neglected to pass its committee of directors, astir the company's issues with intersexual misconduct. 

According to Raven employees, immoderate of the members of Raven's QA section affected by today's layoffs had precocious moved to Madison, Wisconsin, for their positions. One worker says immoderate radical had paid for the determination "out of their ain pockets."

According to employees and further reported by The Washington Post's Shannon Liao, the last time for employees terminated volition beryllium January 28, 2022. 

"We're each reeling from this," 1 worker said. "Lot of tears. Lots of radical terrified for their future. Lot of amazing, highly competent testers getting laid disconnected aft YEARS of crunch aft crunch aft crunch. I'm arsenic furious arsenic I americium shattered."

This communicative is inactive developing. Game Informer has reached retired to Activision for remark and volition update the communicative should we perceive back. 

If anyone affected by today’s layoffs would similar to talk with Game Informer, the writer of this portion tin beryllium reached via email: blakehester@gameinformer.com. Hester is besides disposable via Signal. Direct Message him connected Twitter for his Signal number. GI can warrant anonymity to anyone requesting.