Insider information points to steady progress at Blizzard, even as the rollout for Overwatch 2 faced ongoing challenges. The latest development concerns revolve around how developers are compensated. The company reportedly did not issue bonuses this time around, marking a shift in how rewards are distributed across teams.
News outlet journalist Jason Schreier has shared that Blizzard is revising its approach to bonus payments. The move follows a period where compensation began to be tied more tightly to the performance of individual franchises rather than the overall company results.
Historically, bonuses had reflected the broader health of the organization. Now, the current policy links rewards to the outcomes of each specific project. As a result, teams working on Diablo and World of Warcraft received bonuses, while the Overwatch 2 team did not, even though earlier promises suggested some shortfall would be bridged by company support.
Observers note that former Blizzard leadership, including figures like Mike Morhaime and J. Allen Brack, supported a model where all employees would share in bonuses to encourage experimentation and risk taking. In contrast, Activision’s leadership, previously under Bobby Kotick, favored a system where the creators of the most profitable titles earned larger bonuses.
Beyond compensation habits, Overwatch 2 faced a rocky start. The decision to remove PvE content drew significant controversy, with players seeing just a paid set of three story missions at launch, which did not perform well commercially. Blizzard has indicated plans to continue focus on competitive PvP modes as the project evolves.
Community feedback around the game has also touched pricing strategies for cosmetic items. Skins tied to a collaboration with the Cowboy Bebop anime drew criticism for the cost, fueling discussions about value and in-game monetization strategies.
The landscape remains dynamic, with ongoing conversations about how best to balance creative risk, developer incentives, and player expectations in a live-service title ecosystem. As Blizzard advances, the industry watches closely to see how compensation models, game content decisions, and cosmetic economics will shape long-term engagement and studio morale.
Attribution: VG Times