Blizzard merged with Activision way back in 2008, and continues to release big titles under the Activision-Blizzard moniker. According to a recent report, Activision took a hands-off approach so Blizzard Entertainment could keep its identity intact.

According to a recent IGN report, management at Activision isn't coming to Blizzard Entertainment to change creative decisions during the development process. Blizzard Entertainment titles have historically kept a consistent quality level, including the release of its most recent new IP, Overwatch.  The focus on quality was set at Blizzard Entertainment long before the Activision merger and according to the report, upper management has faith and trust that the developers at Blizzard are making the right choices for Diablo, Warcraft, Hearthstone, etc.

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New Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller recently opened up about Blizzard Entertainment and Jeff Kaplan's departure, stating that it was an emotional moment for Blizzard when Kaplan left. Keller took over Kaplan's role ahead of the release of Overwatch 2, but Blizzard is apparently reeling from the departure of more than just Kaplan. Many gamers have been worried about Activision's influence on Blizzard Entertainment since the initial merger, but Aaron Keller is adamant in pushing against this narrative.

"I can't think of one time where Activision has… or sorry, like management, has come in and asked us to change a creative decision about any of our games," said Aaron Keller during a recent interview with IGN. "They have so much faith and trust that these talented developers that they've hired are making the right choices for their games. They give us free rein to do that.”

Despite several changes at Activision Blizzard in recent years, Activision continues to emphasize the importance of letting Activision Blizzard focus on its franchises without much micromanagement. Although Blizzard developers are being left to do their thing by Activision, there's still division at the company. The report includes some information about dialogue between Blizzard employees during development turbulence caused by shifting leadership.

According to the report, Blizzard's internal Slack channel and other communication from developers at the company suggested that employees have been concerned about the changing culture at Activision Blizzard. Developers at Blizzard have been reeling since the March layoffs, with multiple team members having to pick up the pace in helping with events or patch notes. The layoffs of around 50 employees, mostly in esports and community roles, are being felt in some way by everyone who remains with the company.

"Realistically, the way big companies work is ‘if you make them money, you set the culture,’" said an anonymous source at Blizzard. "And Blizzard doesn't make them money. Call of Duty does, and they set the culture. So, if anything, unless Blizzard actually starts delivering more money, I think it will continue to trend in that direction."

Some employees were left speechless by the recent hire of Brian Bulatao – an ex-Trump Administration official – as chief administrative officer, while others question how some hires represent the values of Blizzard. This cultural confusion may be part of why veteran developers at Blizzard Entertainment continue to depart the company. One of the sources in the recent report claimed that the franchise that runs Activision's culture is Call of Duty, based on continuously successful sales of titles in the series.

Blizzard Entertainment has very little say over new hires according to the report, and it may also be powerless to shield itself from mass layoffs like those felt in the esports division in March. Keller claims that Blizzard has free reign over its franchises and creative decisions made during the development process, but some developers having to pick up the pace due to layoffs may be frustrated.

While Activision is taking a hands-off approach with Blizzard's game development, the management there may still be influencing Blizzard's team through its new hires and constantly shifting resources.

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Source: IGN