On April 16th, Blizzard Entertainment, the video game developer behind popular titles such as World of Warcraft and Overwatch, announced that they had laid off a portion of the Hearthstone team without warning. The layoffs come as a surprise to many, as the popular digital collectible card game has seen a surge in popularity in recent years.

In an official statement, Blizzard cited “organizational changes” as the reason for the layoffs. The statement also noted that the company was “working with all employees affected by these changes to provide them with assistance in finding new opportunities.”

The news of the layoffs has been met with shock and disappointment from the Hearthstone community. Many players have expressed their sadness at the news, and have expressed their support for those affected by the layoffs. Some have even called for a boycott of Blizzard’s games in protest of the layoffs.

The layoffs come at an interesting time for Blizzard, as the company is currently in the process of transitioning to a new business model. This new model focuses on free-to-play games, which could be seen as a sign that Blizzard is looking to cut costs in order to remain competitive in the ever-changing gaming landscape.

It remains to be seen how this news will affect the future of Hearthstone and Blizzard as a whole. However, it is clear that the layoffs have been met with a great deal of sadness and disappointment from the community. It is also clear that Blizzard will need to take steps to ensure that their players remain loyal and engaged in order to remain successful in the future.