I plan to move anyway, do I still need to respond to the eviction?

If you'll ever want to rent again in California, the answer is yes, it matters. Not answering, letting the case default, means it becomes part of the public record after 60 days, exactly where tenant screening companies go looking.

Filing an answer and working toward a negotiated dismissal, even when you're planning to move regardless of the outcome, tends to keep that record sealed instead. That difference alone can shape how your next several rental applications go, well after this particular case is long over.