Call of Duty devs Raven Software plan walk out to protest QA layoffs

Raven Software Studios, behind the development of Warzone: Call of DutyMonday, he will be absent from work after Activision Blizzard laid off 12 quality assurance workers last week.

“The Raven QA team and other members of Raven’s staff will be walking out with a singular demand,” Raven Software workers said in a statement sent to press. “Every member of the QA team, including those terminated on Friday, must be offered full time positions.” The workers added that they’re demonstrating “with the continued success of the studio at the forefront of their mind[s].”

Activision bought Raven Software, a Wisconsin-based company that develops Call of Duty titles, in 1997. Black Ops – Call of Duty Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Alongside other Activision Blizzard Studios. The QA team is primarily focused on Warzone: Call of Duty, representatives said.

Workers said that management had informed them of departmental changes, even positive, before the layoffs. Instead, workers saw QA workers laid off — with others unsure about their own positions — after “five weeks of overtime and before an anticipated end of the year crunch.” More than 30% of the team has been eliminated, workers said. According to Washington Post, the remaining workers will earn an additional $1.50 per hour and receive bonuses and other benefits.

Activision Blizzard’s worker solidarity group, called ABK Workers Alliance, posted on TwitterMany laid-off employees moved to Wisconsin to find work at Raven, despite not receiving financial aid.

Raven Software is a leader in the field of Duty Call: WarzoneAs Black Ops Cold War – Call of Duty’s final multiplayer season comes to a close, and the free-to-play game switches to Vanguard: Call of Duty. A new weekly feature is available this week. WarzoneMap Caldera will be released to replace it. Warzone’s Verdansk map. Activision Blizzard was proud to announce that Call of Duty saw significant success in 2020. The company last year reported that Call of Duty earned $3 billion. In 2019, Activision Blizzard laid of nearly 800 people as it brought in “record results.”

Activision Blizzard QA employees spoke out in August about their work demands, poor pay and the intense crunch. Often considered contract workers, without the protection of full-time employment, QA staff are often in a precarious spot — workers told Polygon they feel undervalued and exploited.

Activision Blizzard workers have since walked off the job multiple times since California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed its lawsuit, alleging sexual harassment and a toxic culture at the company — the first walkout was in July, follow by another in November. The second walkout was triggered by a Wall Street Journal article in November. It reported that CEO Bobby Kotick had been aware of the harassment and assault claims and dismissed them. Internally, Microsoft, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Nintendo and Sony Interactive Entertainment expressed concerns about the allegations.

Activision Blizzard currently faces multiple lawsuits and a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probe. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed one of their lawsuits. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was paid $18 million in settlement earlier this year.