According to a lengthy new thread on Twitter, VFX Artist Chris Sayers claims that Blizzard mistreated and lied to them during their work on Overwatch 2.
Sayers begins by praising their teammates, distinguishing them from management itself. Then, they explain that they actually had to leave Blizzard “for my own mental health”.
According to Sayers, Blizzard offered them a Lead VFX Artist promotion, and Sayers assumed new responsibilities.
However, Blizzard reportedly delayed a pay increase and title change while continuing to tell Sayers “dont worry. its all happening”.
After months of working this way, Sayers demanded answers. They say that HR later replied, “what promotion? i have no idea what you are talking about?”.
Sayers left the company, and Blizzard apparently hit them with a non-compete clause.
Sayers also describes a series of other harrowing details throughout the thread. However, a misleading promotion that caused Sayers to work “4 peoples jobs at once” without better pay is especially troubling.
Blizzard already has a rough reputation from other claims. So, the company and its HR department were supposed to improve communication and prevent new issues like this.
A toxic work environment can be agonizing, affecting both an employee’s health and the creative process.
It is particularly difficult when the employee scales efforts to ensure the work itself remains effective. Sayers has consistently provided excellent artistry.
Sayers does mention that they “raised a formal complaint” before leaving. However, a resulting investigation found “that HR did nothing wrong”.
At this time, Blizzard has not responded to Sayers’ claims about their VFX Artist role for Overwatch 2.
Chris Sayers is now a Lead VFX Artist at Anchor Point Studios. Their previous work also includes years of experience at Mediatonic.
For more of the latest gaming industry news, you can read about Microsoft’s new response to the FTC’s recent claims against the Activision layoffs.
