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

Activision Blizzard has spent the final a number of months embroiled in a sequence of state and federal lawsuits relating to allegations of its poisonous work tradition. The controversies primarily stem from Blizzard particularly as a result of quite a few tales of how the studio fostered a “frat boy” tradition hostile to ladies and marginalized workers, together with accounts of sexual abuse and a gender wage hole. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick initially downplayed the claims, saying he was unaware of a lot of them earlier than promising the corporate would do higher, even chopping his wage to a “minimal wage” of $62,500 till “transformational targets” have been met. Nevertheless, a report by the Wall Avenue Journal reveals further tales of worker misconduct and proof that Kotick was not solely conscious of those controversies however that he uncared for to tell Activision’s board of administrators of a number of of them. The report additionally alleges that Kotick himself has been accused of mistreating ladies over time. 

We extremely encourage you to learn WSJ’s report (there’s a paywall, nevertheless) or author Ben Fritz’s Twitter thread highlighting its core particulars. Set off warning for each their tales and ours as they comprise references to sexual assault together with rape. 

WSJ’s report sheds mild on misconduct happening at Activision-owned studios Treyarch and Sledgehammer Video games. Within the article, proof stemming from inner paperwork, memos, and interviews with individuals near the conditions reveal a number of examples that Kotick had reportedly all the time been conscious of those points and didn’t inform Activision’s board of administrators, as a substitute opting to settle the issues as rapidly and quietly as attainable. 

One occasion was the allegations towards Treyarch co-head, Dan Bunting. Bunting, who helped spearhead the manufacturing of a number of Name of Obligation titles, was accused of sexual harassment by a feminine worker after an evening of ingesting in 2017. In response to WSJ’s sources aware of the state of affairs, a 2019 inner investigation concluded with a suggestion for Bunting’s termination till Kotick intervened on his behalf, holding him with the corporate whereas he underwent counseling. Polygon reviews that Bunting resigned from Treyarch at this time after WSJ’s report was printed.  

Moreover, former Sledgehammer workers have been indicted in sexual misconduct investigations, in line with inner info pulled by WSJ. One story centers on a supervisor who allegedly raped a feminine worker in 2016 and 2017 after pressuring her to drink closely throughout work occasions. In response to the sufferer’s lawyer, this now-former worker reported each instances to different leaders, Sledgehammer’s HR, and the police, however nothing occurred. Activision reportedly handled the perpetrator internally and apparently settled with the sufferer out of court docket, however Kotick, once more, didn’t report the allegations to the board of administrators, in line with these educated of the state of affairs. 

WSJ has additionally spoken to sources and reviewed paperwork revealing Kotick himself has been accused of mistreating ladies out and in of the office for years. These allegations embody a 2006 story of an assistant who claimed Kotick harassed her and left a voice mail threatening to have her killed. In 2007, a flight attendant on a non-public jet co-owned by Kotick stated she was fired by him after she advised the jet’s different proprietor that the pilot sexually harassed her. Kotick settled each issues out of court docket. 

Moreover, an inner e mail by Jen O’Neal, Blizzard’s first feminine co-lead who introduced her resignation earlier this month, revealed her lack of religion in Activision’s management to appropriate its tradition points. O’Neal, together with former Bioware lead Mike Ybarra, assumed co-leadership of Blizzard following the resignation of former president J. Allen Brack in August. O’Neal will depart Blizzard by the tip of the yr, which is able to give Ybarra full management of Blizzard. 

In mild of this report, Activision Blizzard workers have staged an impromptu walkout at this time whereas calling on Kotick to resign as CEO. The Washington Put up states this contains bodily walkouts as properly distant workers refusing to work. The group additionally calls for that the staff be allowed to demand a 3rd celebration to research the corporate. The walkout, which reportedly started at 12:00 p.m. Pacific time in entrance of Blizzard’s Irvine California headquarters, is estimated to incorporate over 100 individuals. This marks the second firm walkout in simply 4 months. 

Activision’s board of administrators has issued a response to WSJ’s report, which you’ll be able to learn in full right here. It opens with the next: 

“The Activision Blizzard Board stays dedicated to the aim of creating Activision Blizzard probably the most welcoming and inclusive firm within the business. Beneath Bobby Kotick’s management the Firm is already implementing business main modifications together with a zero tolerance harassment coverage, a dedication to reaching important will increase to the chances of girls and non-binary individuals in our workforce and important inner and exterior investments to speed up alternatives for various expertise. The Board stays assured that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed office points dropped at his consideration. The targets now we have set for ourselves are each crucial and bold. The Board stays assured in Bobby Kotick’s management, dedication and talent to attain these targets.”

This can be a growing story and we are going to maintain you up to date as extra info involves mild.


If any workers at Activision Blizzard or its many studios want to communicate with Recreation Informer about at this time’s report, share their very own tales, or talk about what modifications they want to see throughout the firm, you’ll be able to attain out to the reporter of this piece by way of e mail: MarcusStewart@gameinformer.com. You can too attain out to senior affiliate editor Blake Hester by way of e mail: BlakeHester@gameinformer.com. Hester may also be reached confidentially by way of Sign. Direct message him on Twitter for his Sign quantity. Recreation Informer can assure anonymity to anybody requesting in change for telling their tales. 

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