Blizzard Entertainment has made it public that the summer internship program for the year 2026 will accept applications and that the reaction of the gaming community has been… to put it mildly, the whole gamut from super-charged enthusiasm to total disorder.
The company encouraged youngsters to “embark on a new quest” in the artistic, designing, engineering, producing, financing, or cyber security fields. Yet, unlike the usual corporate thrill, the responses area turned into a wild mixture of job applications, complaints about Overwatch skins, and some very shady comments that actually compel one to ponder over the current mindset of the people.
Prompt skepticism characterized the very first reaction. A user was quick to warn “Don’t do it, it’s a trap” right away and at the same time shared a link to articles that talked about Blizzard‘s previous workplace scandals. Another in a very simple manner said “Create worlds, get fired by Microsoft” referring to the substantial layoffs that the gaming sector has recently gone through. One user even remarked, “Is it really possible that we still have the really smart CS graduates from 2-3 years back who are still unemployed?”
Someone claimed that payment would no longer be an issue with “Just pay them you tight wad tossers. It’s nothing less than slavery.” However, another person went on to correct that by saying that “All Blizzard internships come with a salary 😊” so at least that issue is settled now. Nevertheless, the whole discussion illustrates how strongly the people in the gaming world feel about internship pay.
Not the least among the laughs was the so-called “applications” themselves. One of them asked, “Is a gay communist a criterion for applying?” another merely said “I’m a gay nerd is that enough?” Then there was the medical graduate asking “do you accept a medical student?” and another wanting to be Blizzard’s registered nurse on campus. Do they actually think Blizzard is like a hospital or what??
The Overwatch fans managed to get in their voices as well; one actually appealed, “Blizzard please no more Kiriko skins, stop this madness and come up with skins for other heroes,” attaching skin concepts he argued would make the company “a lot of money.” Of course, the announcement of the internship gave rise to the question of distributing character skins, along with complaints about game balance.
The first comment, which warned about “vats of tar and 🪶 waiting for you in some backroom,” turned out to be one of the eeriest and somewhat medieval torture-like than workplace references. Another demanded “non-activist developers please” as if that were a specialized job skill.
However, amidst the chaos, there were also some really positive comments. One person simply remarked, “Looks like fun,” and another responded with confidence, “Just put me in the team y’all like c’mon now”- the kind of energy we all wish we had during the job search.
It is fascinating to see how Blizzard’s internship announcement became a little mirror reflecting all the currents of the gaming world. The advertisement of the chance to cross the industry’s threshold is combined with the very concerns regarding job security, pay, odd complaints about game balance, and plain peculiar comments that make one doubt the state of humanity.
And the timing of this news is significant too; amidst the layoffs and the uncertainty still haunting the gaming industry, the fact a company like Blizzard is leasing out internships two years ahead of time is basically a reassurance signal. It shows that they think long-term even though the community’s reaction is very mixed.
For all the students dreaming of working on the next World of Warcraft, Overwatch, or Diablo, this is still one great opportunity in the midst of all the noise coming from the replies. Pretty much, the experience of being paid to learn from the developers at one of the biggest companies in gaming will draw you into a career, even if the industry is as turbulent as it is now.
The corps of mixed reactions points to the half-and-half, hopeful and cynical, excited and worried, and professional and completely out of character present situation of gaming culture. It is all there in one tweet reply section, and honestly? That’s gaming in 2024 for you.
So if you’re a student aiming for a career in game development, the door at Blizzard is slightly open. Just don’t go reading the replies before you apply, though, because that could lead you to madness. And feathers. Apparently, according to one very concerned person, feathers are involved.
