Bobby Kotick Activision Controversy
Activision Blizzard is under fire amid workplace misconduct allegations. These include sexual harassment, abuse towards employees, and general workplace misconduct. The company has received a lot of backlash over how they have handled the accusations. CEO Bobby Kotick recently gave a public statement on the subject.
Kotick stated he would consider resigning his position as head of the company if the workplace misconduct isn’t fixed “with speed.” This is according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Kotik said this during a meeting with Blizzard executives last week.
The controversy picked up heat last July when the State of California filed a lawsuit against the company. Kotick has mostly stayed quiet on the subject until recently. Both fans and employees are angry with how little Kotick has talked about the issues. The response also angered a lot of people because Kotick himself has many accusations against him. He has had multiple sexual harassment accusations made against him, and has allegedly threatened an employee with death to name a few.
Activision Blizzard’s reputation has been getting worse since the lawsuit. They have faced a number of setbacks in the last few weeks. Over 1,700 employees have signed a petition to remove Bobby Kotick from the company. Jen Oneal has resigned as Co-President of Activision Blizzard. Even Sony and Microsoft are re-evaluating their relationship with the company.
Kotick accused the Wall Street Journal report of displaying a “misleading” and “inaccurate” view of both the company and himself. Activision Blizzard seems to be supporting Kotick. They said in a press release, “We are disappointed in the Wall Street Journal’s report which presents a misleading view of Activision Blizzard and our CEO.”
Will Activision recover from the many controversies they have found itself in? Tell us what you think in the comments!