It’s reported Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will resign from his position. But only if the workplace issues aren’t fixed “with speed.”
Following the ongoing reports of abuse towards employees of Activision Blizzard, a report from the Wall Street Journal claimed that the CEO not only knew of the allegations but also made attempts to cover them up. Furthermore, allegations were also made against Kotick with threats made towards a female employee.
The reported allegations against the CEO resulted in alleged emails from Xbox chief Phil Spencer, and PlayStation boss Jim Ryan addressing their own employees and voicing concerns towards Activision. However, that was not all, because over 1,300 Activision employees signed a petition calling for the resignation of Bobby Kotick.
In a story covered by GamesIndustry.biz, following a meeting with executives, Bobby Kotick has allegedly stated that he will resign from his position as CEO. But only if the company’s issues of abuse and misconduct are not fixed “with speed.”
Following the meeting, it is also believed that a “workplace excellence committee” will be created to oversee and fix the company’s toxic workplace culture. However, it is also reported by the Wall Street Journal that there are no plans to investigate Bobby Kotick specifically.
At the moment, it seems like there is a lot of talk and no bite. And until big decisions are made, and significant action is taken, not a lot is going to change any time soon (in my opinion).
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
Activision Blizzard protest organisers are urging supporters to use the hashtag #ActiBlizzWalkout and #EndAbuseInGaming, accompanied by a blue heart emoji. In addition, organisers have listed several charities if supporters wish to show financial support.
- Black Girls Code – https://www.blackgirlscode.com
- Futures without Violence – https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org
- Girls Who Code – https://girlswhocode.com
- RAINN – https://www.rainn.org
- Women In Animation – https://womeninanimation.org
- Women in Games International – https://www.getwigi.com
Featured Image Credit: Activision Blizzard