The wave of esports industry layoffs has hit Activision Blizzard and has taken the shine off a potential new future for Overwatch esports. Multiple longtime members of the OWL broadcast and talent team, as well as its esports team at large, have been laid off.
Two of the most recognizable faces from the OWL who were featured on the broadcast since the league’s inaugural season in 2018, commentator Matt “Mr. X” Morello and host/analyst Salome “Soe” Gschwind-Repp, are both laid off.
Just last week, Morello revealed that he was hoping to remain involved in some capacity going forward despite working behind the scenes to help plan the new Overwatch Champion Series.
However, Soe herself was disappointed that her time with the organization was shortened but still kept hopes alive that exciting news could pop up anytime soon and that she was ready to get the call with champagne.
Over 60 workers who worked on both Overwatch and the Call of Duty League esports division of Blizzard were laid off. Both Morello and Soe are just two of several broadcasters and observers who have been let go. Many of the CDL employees got the rude news just days after returning from working the Boston Major.
Reports say that after the layoff, there are just 12 full-time employees in the whole esports division at Activision Blizzard now. The company got hit by the huge layoff at Microsoft last week, where roughly 1,900 employees across gaming divisions got dropped. That alone is just one of many mass layoffs across gaming companies at the start of 2024.
Overall, all the employees who got their hands dirty working on Overwatch must have felt hard done as it is just a week after the announcement of a new open circuit system, the Overwatch Champion Series, which gave hopes of new life in a scene that has been dormant for a while.
Daniel Ademiju Idowu
