Three unions representing Blizzard France have called for a strike in response to news that the company will close its Versailles office, putting hundreds of jobs at risk during a pandemic. The union issued a statement yesterday calling on workers to strike "to protect jobs and save the company." [In a joint statement by the CGT, SPECIS-UNSA, and CFE-CGC, the unions deny that Blizzard planned to close the office and accuse the company of actually planning to close it for a long time.

"This is a shock to our employees who were not expecting such an announcement: in 15 years, many of us have left our hometowns from all over Europe and abroad to join this company, and people have truly invested their entire lives in Blizzard's success."

The statement, which will cut 285 jobs, is "inconceivable" given the worsening job market thanks to the coronavirus. Last year, the company cut hundreds of jobs in its U.S. offices, particularly in marketing and IT. According to the statement, the company also tried to cut 133 jobs in France, but was blocked by the courts, and made more job cuts in March of this year, which were also blocked. The unions claim that management intentionally reduced the quality of working conditions and put employees at risk.

The statement calls the decision to close the office "unreasonable" given that Blizzard is an industry leader that has weathered the coronavirus much better than others. It suggests that other reasons, apart from the impact of the pandemic, lie at the heart of this decision, arguing that "the willingness to avoid European taxation by creating an ABK hub in London, far from Europe, seems a more plausible explanation."

With this in mind, unions are demanding that Blizzard rescind the closure, develop its European office, and invest in preventing psychosocial risks.

Players and streamers have also expressed their support, saying they will not check World of Warcraft: Shadowlands' pre-patch in solidarity with Blizzard employees. The pre-patch was released yesterday on North American servers and will be available today in Europe.