Blizzard Entertainment Inc., the largest software company in Orange County by employee headcount, is busy hiring in Irvine for its long-awaited Diablo IV online role-playing game.
The company’s website earlier this month listed almost two dozen positions, ranging from “dungeon artist” to software engineer and game producer.
“What fresh hell is this!? @Diablo IV is hiring,” the company said in a tweet designed to attract job candidates. “Sanctuary is growing stronger with roles across #Art & #Animation, #Engineering, #Design, and #Production.”
Casting a wide net the company said: “We hire globally and can assist w/ relocation & Visa, apply if you see a fit!”
Blizzard said late last month it is excited “about how the game is coming together.” No official release date has been announced, and there is online speculation it won’t happen this year.
For those unfamiliar with the world of games, here is how the company described the game last fall: “Diablo IV will deliver visceral combat, gruesome and varied monsters, an epic hunt for legendary loot, and endless playability and progression.”
Blizzard previewed Diablo IV at its annual BlizzCon fanfest in November in Anaheim. It’s been nearly eight years since the prior version of the game was released. That edition sold over 3.5 million copies in the first 24 hours of its release.
$2B in Q4
Blizzard, which also makes online games including “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft,” is owned by Activision Blizzard Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) of Santa Monica.
Activision Blizzard last month reported fourth-quarter earnings that were lower than year-ago levels but still exceeded expectations.
Fourth-quarter revenue hit nearly $2 billion in 2019, down from almost $2.4 billion in the same period of the previous year, while quarterly earnings per share fell to 68 cents from 89 cents.
The company was trading at $60 per share early last week, up about 2.3% since the beginning of the year, just as stock markets started to pull out of their historic plunge.
“Our fourth-quarter results exceeded our prior outlook for both revenue and earnings per share,” Activision Blizzard Chief Executive Bobby Kotick said in February. The company had lowered its outlook for the holiday season in a November earnings report.
Blizzard has 2,800 OC employees out of a companywide total of 4,000, according to Business Journal figures.
Obsidian Additions
Gamers will be expecting a lot from Diablo IV after the long wait.
“To keep fans coming back to its games, Blizzard needs a stellar launch with Diablo IV, especially given how long players have waited for it,” entertainment website ScreenRant.com said. “So far, Diablo IV looks to offer a mix of the well-loved combat and classic art style with an ambitious new design.”
Blizzard isn’t the only area gaming company in a hiring mood.
A short drive away, Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of “Outer Worlds” and “Fallout: New Vegas,” is also stepping up its hiring, with 32 positions listed on its website as of early March. The jobs are for a new role-playing game being developed by the Irvine-based company, according to website GameRant.com.
Obsidian’s perks and generous benefits include “Movie Days where the company takes the occasional workday field trip across the street to see the latest and greatest blockbuster movies.”
