Lawsuits, walkouts, allegations – ever since the curtains were lifted on the toxic workplace culture present in the offices of Activision Blizzard, the game publisher's reputation, credibility, and public image have all been in freefall. Recent allegations against Activision Blizzard's CEO Bobby Kotick sparked a virtual and in-person walkout by the ABK Workers Alliance on November 16th, as even more employees have joined in protest by signing a petition with the goal to remove Bobby Kotick from his position.
This comes as no surprise, given the company's internal response to the allegations was to double down on the defense of its CEO by holding what many among the Activision Blizzard staff described as one-sided meetings done for the purpose of placating the discontented employees and preserving the status quo rather than responsibly confronting the problem at hand.
Frustration at Activision Blizzard has spread beyond the company's offices, as notable industry figures, such as PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan, have voiced their displeasure at the game publisher's state of affairs, as well as the inappropriate manner with which its elected to address the situation. In an email obtained by Bloomberg, Jim Ryan has gone on to say that the company simply hadn't "done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment" and that he shared the sentiment that meaningful change had to start from the top.
The petition – signed by workers from Activision, Blizzard, King, Infinity Ward, Raven Software, and Toys For Bob – gives voice to unsatisfied employees from just about every aspect of Activision Blizzard's business, and reads:
"We, the undersigned, no longer have confidence in the leadership of Bobby Kotick as the CEO of Activision Blizzard. The information that has come to light about his behaviors and practices in the running of our companies runs counter to the culture and integrity we require of our leadership--and directly conflicts with the initiatives started by our peers. We ask that Bobby Kotick remove himself as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and that shareholders be allowed to select the new CEO without the input of Bobby, who we are aware owns a substantial portion of the voting rights of the shareholders."
Though petitions have hardly proven to be the best means of enacting change, they are a powerful and valid way of conveying a group's message to the public or the concerned party. Between the walkouts and the petitions, it is clear that the conduct of Bobby Kotick and other executives responsible for abiding and perpetuating the toxic workplace culture at Activision Blizzard has proven to be highly disruptive to the business of the company at large, which has seen stocks fall by 30% of its value within the span of six months and continue to plummet.
Between canceling next year's online BlizzCon event, delaying several of its high profile games for an indefinite amount of time, and as new allegations continue to emerge, Activision Blizzard finds itself at a precarious position. Rbuilding its credibility and reputation with its customers is unlikely until it addresses the plight of its employees in a concrete manner.