Blizzard esports teams for Call of Duty, Overwatch reportedly low on morale

By Aaron Mamiit Published June 2, 2019

Activision Blizzard esports teams, particularly for Call of Duty and Overwatch, are reportedly low on morale, with several high-profile staff set to exit from the company soon.

Dexerto reported, citing anonymous sources, that among the employees who are expected to leave is Kim Phan, who has been with the company for 13 years and currently the Global Product Director of Blizzard Esports. The sources gave a list of several names of staff who are set to resign, but Dexerto chose to keep them unnamed aside from Phan, as her tenure “has made her synonymous with Blizzard esports” for many people.

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Phan’s rumored plan will follow the move of Nate Nanzer, the founding commissioner of the Overwatch League, who recently left his post to take a role in overseeing competitive Fortnite at Epic Games. Replacing Nanzer will be Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues President and CEO Pete Vlastelica, who reportedly has everything to do with the recent departures.

“People are really getting tired of working for Pete Vlastelica,” one source told Dexerto, resulting in low morale for the teams developing the esports divisions of Blizzard’s games. The focus is said to have shifted to commercializing esports, instead of creating good programs for the games’ communities.

“Many people internally are laying that on Pete, and it has crushed morale among the Call of Duty and Overwatch teams especially,” the source said.

Vlastelica joined Blizzard in 2016 from Fox Sports, where he oversaw digital output and content creation. Some Blizzard employees reputedly believe that this does not properly equip him to make decisions on what is best for the company’s esports plans, because of the differences compared to the market for traditional sports.

“Right now, there’s a feeling that a lot of the senior management just don’t understand esports,” another source told Dexerto, adding that there is no room for negotiations with the executives. “They are convinced their vision, which is more in line with televised sports, is the right way to go and it has just made people miserable.”

If the report is true, the loss of Phan and the internal turmoil could not come at a worse time for Blizzard, as the Overwatch League is just starting to infiltrate the mainstream with its plan for all teams to host home games starting 2020.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is on track to be the most successful Call of Duty release in the franchise's history thanks to a record-breaking launch, according to Activision and Microsoft.

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After the backlash surrounding the Zombies mode in Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has returned to the round-based roots we all know and love. Well, the structure might be familiar, but this mode has more than its fair share of new tricks that will see you getting swarmed in seconds if you can't learn to adapt. If you're familiar with how Call of Duty handles its Zombies mode, you will know that there's a lot more you need to know besides just shooting zombies if you want to make it to the later rounds. If you want to survive as long as possible, we have the key tips and tricks to withstand the zombie horde in Black Ops 6.
The basics still apply

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The best Wildcards in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The concept of a Wildcard might sound like a risky endeavor in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, but this part of your loadout isn't random at all. We haven't seen this system since Cold War, and even those who remember it from that game will need to learn all the new cards there are in Black Ops 6. You can only equip a single Wildcard on your loadout, but they are powerful enough to completely redefine your playstyle. So far, there are only six to unlock while grinding through the levels with your friends, but picking just one is still a tough choice, especially if you want to use a permanent unlock on one after hitting Prestige. We've ranked all the Wildcards in Black Ops 6 so you can always have the winning hand.
All Black Ops 6 Wildcards, ranked

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Perk Greed - Level 54
The last Wildcard you unlock is easily the most powerful. Perk Greed lets you unlock a fourth Perk to your loadout instead of being limited to three, which can borderline break the game if you choose the right set of Perks. It is also the most versatile of the Wildcards since it gives you the most options to play with instead of a specific bonus you may not find useful. It can also more easily unlock the special bonus buff you get for equipping three Perks from the same category.
Gunfighter - Level 33
Right in the middle of the unlock list, Gunfighter is one Wildcard you could easily make a case for over Perk Greed in some situations. This one increases your attachment points for your primary weapon by three. If you're rocking a top-tier weapon already, this Wildcard can let you tweak its stats even higher. We rank it second because it only applies to one weapon and thus is a bit more limiting.
Overkill - Level 24
For such an early Wildcard, Overkill is quite a powerful choice. This card lets you equip any weapon (except melee weapons) in your Primary and Secondary slots instead of the ones typically reserved for each. That means you can build a loadout with two Primary weapons and be far more versatile on the battlefield. Instead of having to trade off range, damage, rate of fire, mobility, or any other aspect of your game, you can cover almost all your bases by picking two Primary weapons that cover each other's weaknesses.
Prepper - Level 45
Field upgrades are powerful, don't get us wrong, but having two instead of one isn't always that much of a game-changer. It's a bit less useful than Gunfighter only because field upgrades are more situational and require more attention to use to their full potential. If that's you, then this is a great choice.
Danger Close - Level 38
Who doesn't want another grenade, Molotov, or combat axe? Is getting a second Lethal worth the Wildcard slot, though? Not in our opinion. Most of the time, Lethals are used in desperation or as a way to deny enemy movement for a time, and even then, they are risky because of how vulnerable you are while using them.
Tactical Expert - Level 15
The first Wildcard you get is better than nothing, but only just. It's exactly like Danger Close, only you can hold two Tacticals instead of Lethals. This is, by nature, a little worse since Tacticals don't have the ability to kill an enemy (unless you get super lucky and you directly hit an enemy with one who is on low HP). You can get some use out of them, but you're better off upgrading as soon as you have another option.