Report: Bobby Kotick Knew Of Activision Blizzard’s History Of Sexual Misconduct, Employees Walk Out Demanding His Resignation

Activision Blizzard has spent the past respective months embroiled successful a bid of authorities and federal lawsuits regarding allegations of its toxic enactment culture. The controversies chiefly stem from Blizzard specifically owed to galore stories of however the workplace fostered a “frat boy” civilization hostile to women and marginalized employees, on with accounts of intersexual maltreatment and a sex wage gap. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick initially downplayed the claims, saying helium was unaware of galore of them earlier promising the institution would bash better, adjacent cutting his wage to a “minimum wage” of $62,500 until “transformational goals” were met. However, a report by the Wall Street Journal reveals further stories of worker misconduct and grounds that Kotick was not lone alert of these controversies but that helium neglected to pass Activision’s committee of directors of respective of them. The study besides alleges that Kotick himself has been accused of mistreating women implicit the years. 

We highly promote you to work WSJ’s report (there is simply a paywall, however) oregon writer Ben Fritz’s Twitter thread highlighting its halfway details. Trigger informing for some their stories and ours arsenic they incorporate references to intersexual battle including rape. 

WSJ’s study sheds airy connected misconduct taking spot astatine Activision-owned studios Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. In the article, grounds stemming from interior documents, memos, and interviews with radical adjacent to the situations uncover respective examples that Kotick had reportedly always been alert of these issues and did not inform Activision’s committee of directors, alternatively opting to settee the matters arsenic rapidly and softly arsenic possible. 

One lawsuit was the allegations against Treyarch co-head, Dan Bunting. Bunting, who helped spearhead the accumulation of respective Call of Duty titles, was accused of intersexual harassment by a pistillate worker aft a nighttime of drinking successful 2017. According to WSJ’s sources acquainted with the situation, a 2019 interior probe concluded with a proposal for Bunting’s termination until Kotick intervened connected his behalf, keeping him with the institution portion helium underwent counseling. Polygon reports that Bunting resigned from Treyarch today aft WSJ’s study was published.  

Additionally, erstwhile Sledgehammer employees were indicted successful intersexual misconduct investigations, according to interior accusation pulled by WSJ. One story centers connected a supervisor who allegedly raped a pistillate worker successful 2016 and 2017 aft pressuring her to portion heavy during enactment events. According to the victim’s lawyer, this now-former employee reported some cases to different leaders, Sledgehammer’s HR, and the police, but thing happened. Activision reportedly dealt with the perpetrator internally and seemingly settled with the unfortunate retired of court, but Kotick, again, did not study the allegations to the committee of directors, according to those knowledgeable of the situation. 

WSJ has besides spoken to sources and reviewed documents revealing Kotick himself has been accused of mistreating women successful and retired of the workplace for years. These allegations see a 2006 communicative of an adjunct who claimed Kotick harassed her and near a dependable message threatening to person her killed. In 2007, a formation attendant connected a backstage jet co-owned by Kotick said she was fired by him aft she told the jet’s different proprietor that the aviator sexually harassed her. Kotick settled some matters retired of court.

WSJ also recovered interior documents revealing Kotick arsenic the idiosyncratic who wrote the arguable email (as shared by Kotaku) sent to employees saying California's archetypal suit contained "factually incorrect, aged and retired of discourse stories". The accusation states helium ordered Fran Townsend, a arguable pistillate elder enforcement and erstwhile Bush medication official, to nonstop it retired to workers, wherever she garnered heavy criticism from employees and fans connected societal media. Townsend aboriginal resigned arsenic the caput of the Activision Blizzard Women’s Network.

Furthermore, an interior email by Jen O’Neal, Blizzard’s archetypal pistillate co-lead who announced her resignation earlier this month, revealed her deficiency of religion successful Activision’s enactment to close its civilization issues. O’Neal, on with erstwhile Bioware lead Mike Ybarra, assumed co-leadership of Blizzard pursuing the resignation of erstwhile president J. Allen Brack successful August. O’Neal volition depart Blizzard by the extremity of the year, which volition springiness Ybarra afloat enactment of the studio. 

In airy of this report, Activision Blizzard employees person staged an impromptu walkout contiguous portion calling connected Kotick to resign arsenic CEO. The Washington Post states this includes carnal walkouts and distant employees refusing to work. The radical besides demands that the employees beryllium allowed to appoint a 3rd enactment to analyse the company. The walkout, which reportedly began astatine 12:00 p.m. Pacific clip successful beforehand of Blizzard's Irvine California headquarters, is estimated to see implicit 100 people. This marks the 2nd institution walkout in conscionable 4 months. 

Activision’s committee of directors has issued a effect to WSJ’s report, which you tin read successful afloat here. It opens with the following: 

“The Activision Blizzard Board remains committed to the extremity of making Activision Blizzard the astir welcoming and inclusive institution successful the industry. Under Bobby Kotick's enactment the Company is already implementing manufacture starring changes including a zero tolerance harassment policy, a dedication to achieving important increases to the percentages of women and non-binary radical successful our workforce and important interior and outer investments to accelerate opportunities for divers talent. The Board remains assured that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention. The goals we person acceptable for ourselves are some captious and ambitious. The Board remains assured successful Bobby Kotick's leadership, committedness and quality to execute these goals.”

This is simply a processing communicative and we volition support you updated arsenic much accusation comes to light.

[Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Polygon, Kotaku, The Washington Post]

If immoderate employees astatine Activision Blizzard oregon its galore studios would similar to talk with Game Informer about today's report, stock their ain stories, oregon talk astir what changes they would similar to spot wrong the company, you tin scope retired to the newsman of this portion via email: MarcusStewart@gameinformer.com. You tin besides scope retired to elder subordinate exertion Blake Hester via email: BlakeHester@gameinformer.com. Hester tin besides beryllium reached confidentially via Signal. Direct connection him connected Twitter for his Signal number. Game Informer can warrant anonymity to anyone requesting successful speech for telling their stories.