Raven Software Employees Plan Walkout In Protest Of Layoffs

Raven Software employees are planning to stage a walkout in protest of QA testers being laid off from the company.

Following a report from The Washington Post, as part of a company restructure, Activision Blizzard reportedly laid off around a third of the QA team. In a series of tweets, Raven Software community manager Austin O’Brien shared his thoughts. He claimed that not only were the QA team promised a pay raise, but some even relocated for the company.

I am gutted right now. My friends in QA at Raven were promised, for months, that Activision was working towards a pay restructure to increase their wages.

Today, one by one, valuable members of the team were called into meetings and told they were being let go.

— Austin O'Brien (@eyyohbee) December 3, 2021

O’Brien also claimed that members of the QA team were called into meetings one-by-one before being let go. It is also feared that more cuts will be made prior to January 28^th, 2022, which is said to be the last working day of those being let go.

Employees issued a statement

As reported by NME, news of the staged walkout was shared on Twitter by Stephen Totilo of media outlet Axios Gaming with a statement from Raven Software employees.

“The 12 individuals who have been let go so far are considered by their colleagues to be essential to the everyday functioning of the Raven QA team,” reads the statement.

Some workers at Call of Duty Warzone maker and Activision subsidiary Raven are walking out today, protesting the surprise dismissal of a dozen game testers on Friday and demanding that all are offered full-time jobs.

Call of Duty is among the most lucrative series in the world pic.twitter.com/DlrSmXAPmc

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) December 6, 2021

“Several of those who were let go recently relocated to Wisconsin in anticipation of the return to in-person work. They did so without relocation assistance from Raven, due to reassurances from the studio that their workload was consistent.”

Call of Duty earns millions per day

Furthermore, it is reported that Call of Duty: Warzone can generate $5.2 million per day according to Netbet. Which only rubbed salt into the wounds of those losing their jobs due to budget cuts.

“In response to the events of Friday, the Raven QA team and other members of Raven’s staff will be walking out with a singular demand: Every member of the QA team, including those terminated on Friday, must be offered full-time positions,” continues the statement.

“The Raven QA department is essential to the day-to-day functioning of the studio as a whole… The end goal of this walkout is to ensure the continued growth of Raven as a studio and to foster a positive community for everyone.”

At this time, Activision Blizzard is yet to comment on the layoffs or the walkout protest at Raven Software. We’ll keep you posted with any further updates.

Featured Image Credit: Raven Software