Ever since the news broke that the state of California had filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for an alleged "frat boy" workplace culture which included various sexual harassment claims, the company has issued mixed responses. While Blizzard executive Fran Townsend initially called the lawsuit "meritless and irresponsible" and pointed out apparent "out of context stories," Blizzard president J. Allen Brack emailed his employees pledging to "take these claims very seriously." Now, another Blizzard spokesperson has introduced seemingly conflicting information into the equation.
This statement follows news originally reported by Kotaku detailing former Blizzard creative director Alex Afrasiabi's "Cosby Suite" hotel room during BlizzCon 2013. Evidence obtained by Kotaku shows that the suite was a "booze-filled meeting place" where Afrasiabi and others would take pictures with a portrait of convicted rapist, Bill Cosby. Afrasiabi is the primary individual named in California's lawsuit, and the Cosby Suite is one piece of evidence the state will use when trying to prove sexual assault and harassment claims against Blizzard in a court of law.
For Activision Blizzard, the company is aiming to distance themselves from Afrasiabi as much as possible. A Blizzard spokesperson recently spoke with IGN and claimed that Afrasiabi was terminated by Blizzard in 2020 because of his "misconduct in his treatment of other employees." This decision from Blizzard came after "an employee brought these 2013 events to our attention in June 2020. We immediately conducted our own investigation and took corrective action."
However, another source within Blizzard has claimed that Afrasiabi left of his own accord. They say in May 2020 he was leading an "incubation project" at the company and he departed when the project wasn't greenlit. Whichever version of Afrasiabi's leave is true, it's unlikely to have much bearing on the overall course of California's lawsuit. Even if Blizzard did indeed fire Afrasiabi for conduct related to the 2013 Cosby Suite, the lawsuit still alleges a workplace of inequality toward women for unequal pay, workplace harassment, and other claims.
Many of Activision Blizzard's employees have reacted to the lawsuit by participating in a walkout on July 28 while calling for better working conditions for women and updated recruitment and promotion policies among other changes. Following the walkout and increased pressure on Blizzard due to the lawsuit, CEO Bobby Kotick released a letter outlining changes the company will make moving forward. Included is a "review of [the company's] policies and procedures," as well as changes to Blizzard personnel, hiring practices, and even in-game content.
California's lawsuit against Blizzard and the resulting demands from employees has encouraged workers at other game companies to do the same. Employees at Ubisoft have written a letter to the company addressing their workplace concerns and showing solidarity with those participating in the walkout at Blizzard. Ubisoft executives have yet to respond to the open letter, but it goes beyond company claims and calls for widespread change in the gaming industry when it comes to reports of sexual conduct, discrimination, and other offenses.