Overwatch 2 developers are receiving 0% of their bonus targets this March.
As reported by Bloomberg, not receiving a profit-sharing bonus at Blizzard Entertainment is a rarity.
The employee incentive is based on the fiscal performance of products and is received twice a year.
Overwatch 2 developers receiving zero payouts may indicate the hero shooter’s poor financial performance.
People familiar with the matter said that a pack of three PvE story missions did not sell well last year, possibly factoring into the declining bonuses.
Microsoft’s 1,900 layoffs in January included a majority of staffers behind Overwatch 2’s PvE content.
The remaining development team will reportedly focus on PvP and abandon any previously planned player vs environment work.
In the past, Blizzard staffers received bonuses based on the company’s overall performance. However, last year, the policy changed and now focuses on a franchise’s performance.
The update took a decade to implement, as it was a point of contention between Blizzard’s leadership and its parent company, Activision Blizzard.
According to sources, in August 2023, Overwatch 2’s development team was told that based on the game’s financial performance in the first half of the year, they should not have received any bonuses.