Twitch 'Adjustments' Result In Layoffs of Several High-Profile Employees
Reports indicate that as many as 25 employees have been laid off as Twitch makes adjustments to its team.
Popular video game streaming service Twitch seems to be shaking up its priorities, as reports are indicating that the company has laid off close to 30 employees as part of a general restructuring strategy.
Some Twitch employees were fired by new Twitch VP of Content Michael Aragon who wasn't even in the office and did this via a remote Google Hangouts call. Employees were told to leave immediately. Morale is at an all-time low at Twitch, with one saying "We got amazon'd. Sad day."
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) March 30, 2018
According to a report from Polygon, various sources have confirmed that at least 25 people, including several long-term employees, have been let go. In a statement, Twitch claims that the layoffs are part of an "adjustment" that will likely result in new hires down the road.
"Coming off the record-setting numbers shared in our 2017 Retrospective, Twitch is continuing to grow and advance with success stories from Overwatch League to Fortnite’s milestone-setting streams," the statement reads. "In order to maintain this momentum, we have an aggressive growth strategy for 2018 with plans to increase our headcount by approximately 30%. While we’ve conducted team adjustments in some departments, our focus is on prioritizing areas most important for the community."
Among the high profile names who have been let go or left Twitch, many work in or have their roots in esports and competitive gaming. This includes FishStix, Adam Contini, TosspoT, Justin Wong, and Jon Carnage. Unbelievable to me Twitch would compromise its core audience.
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) March 30, 2018
According to a tweet from competitive gaming consultant Rod Breslau, the layoffs include several notable personalities in the esports scene, including Justin Wong and Jon Carnage. Polygon notes that Twitch has already begun taking on new talent, including the likes of former Pandora COO Sara Clemens as well as Amir Shevat, former head of developer relations for Slack.
It's not immediately clear how many more, if any, employees are expected to leave Twitch following the adjustment period. However, fans are likely to hear more about new additions in the coming months as Twitch continues with its re-prioritization strategy. This news also follows up on recent changes to the official Twitch guidelines, the likes of which detail new rules concerning hateful content and other toxic behavior.
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replyKevin Tucker posted a new article, Twitch 'Adjustments' Result In Layoffs of Several High-Profile Employees
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Is there a list of the on-air people who were let go? I read speculation that djWheat was one of them.
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