Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Apologizes For 'Tone Deaf' Statement, Read Full Letter Here

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has issued a missive to his employees pursuing the quality that a walkout is planned for tomorrow. The walkout is the latest measurement employees are taking to amended enactment conditions pursuing details of a suit against Activision Blizzard from the authorities of California implicit reported sex favoritism and intersexual harassment successful the workplace going public. 

Game Informer has obtained a copy of the letter from Kotick to the institution arsenic a whole, stating that it has "been a hard and upsetting week." The missive goes connected to denounce the archetypal Activision Blizzard response, agreeing with the assemblage that the messaging was "tone deaf" and that it is "imperative" that the teams travel unneurotic and "acknowledge each perspectives and experiences and respect the feelings of those who person been mistreated successful immoderate way." He added, "I'm atrocious that we did not supply the close empathy and understanding."

The missive continues, saying:

Many of you person told america that progressive outreach comes from caring truthful profoundly for the Company. That truthful galore radical person reached retired and shared thoughts, suggestions, and highlighted opportunities for betterment is simply a almighty reflection of however you attraction for our communities of colleagues and players – and for each other. Ensuring that we person a harmless and welcoming enactment situation is my highest priority. The enactment squad has heard you large and clear.

We are taking swift enactment to beryllium the compassionate, caring institution you came to enactment for and to guarantee a harmless environment. There is nary spot anyplace astatine our Company for discrimination, harassment, oregon unequal attraction of immoderate kind.

We volition bash everything imaginable to marque definite that together, we amended and physique the benignant of inclusive workplace that is indispensable to foster creativity and inspiration.

Kotick besides details an contiguous program of action, with the archetypal mandate of enlisting the assistance of an outer instrumentality steadfast called WilmerHale. WilmerHale volition analyse existent policies wrong the institution to "ensure that we person and support the champion practices to beforehand a steadfast and inclusive workplace." Given the inflammatory and egregious quality of the allegations astatine hand, WilmerHale is apt to look an particularly challenging task. 

The CEO besides provides interaction accusation for Stephanie Avakian, who is revealed to beryllium astir precocious the Director of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement. This interaction accusation is to beryllium utilized by anyone that feels oregon has felt uncomfortable portion moving astatine Activision Blizzard successful conjunction with the ongoing investigation. 

As for what's adjacent up of the tribunal proceedings going forward, Kotick has listed the beneath actionable items successful effect to the aforementioned lawsuit: 

1. Employee Support. We volition proceed to analyse each and each assertion and volition not hesitate to instrumentality decisive action. To fortify our capabilities successful this area, we are adding further elder unit and different resources to some the Compliance squad and the Employee Relations team.
2. Listening Sessions. We cognize galore of you person inspired ideas connected however to amended our culture. We volition beryllium creating harmless spaces moderated by 3rd parties for you to talk retired and stock areas for improvement.
3. Personnel Changes. We are instantly evaluating managers and leaders crossed the Company. Anyone recovered to person impeded the integrity of our processes for evaluating claims and imposing due consequences volition beryllium terminated.
4. Hiring Practices. Earlier this year, I sent an email requiring each hiring managers to guarantee they person divers campaigner slates for each unfastened positions. We volition beryllium adding compliance resources to guarantee that our hiring managers are, successful fact, adhering to this directive.
5. In-game Changes. We person heard the input from worker and subordinate communities that immoderate of our in-game contented is inappropriate. We are removing that content.

The connection ends with a connection of enactment and a tendency to offer a "welcoming, comfortable, and safe" enactment culture. To larn much astir the harassment lawsuit, delight notation to our erstwhile sum here.