Activision Blizzard is taking the spotlight for all the wrong reasons recently, from botched game launches to a whirlwind of accusations against its senior staff. Company CEO Bobby Kotick finally has a response to the controversies his company finds itself embroiled in.
Over the past few months, reports and accusations surfaced accusing many of Activision's executives of abusing employees to various degrees and creating a toxic work culture. The CEO, Bobby Kotick, is a main subject of widespread criticism from both employees and fans.
In a meeting with executives from the Blizzard Entertainment division, Kotick reportedly stated that he would consider resigning from the company if the misconduct issues across the company were not fixed "with speed." The issues are indeed widespread, but this acknowledgement of the issue comes in direct contrast with previous internal company communication denying Activision Blizzard's problems. Kotick acknowledging the issue internally is certainly a step forward, but given that many of the accusations are against him personally, the statement may ring hollow.
Sexual assault accusations against Bobby Kotick are known to exist as far back as 2006, with Kotick supposedly failing to report similar acts committed by other managers to proper company departments as well. Kotick himself is known to be a major part of the problem that he claims to be invested in fixing, and it remains to be seen whether he will keep to his word. At this point, however, Activision continues to fall at the mercy of Kotick and other executives that he chooses to keep in the company.
Even despite employee walkouts demanding Kotick resign, the CEO seems set on staying at Activision. The only way to know for sure whether he keeps to his word is to wait and see, but if the delay in addressing the issue during a months-long lawsuit against the company is any indication, the possibility that he will stay should not be discounted. The future of Activision may be unclear, but Bobby Kotick's future seems a bit clearer.
The entire situation is a mess for employees and fans alike; fans of Activision games are becoming increasingly aware that their money goes toward supporting a toxic workplace, but the company's games still sell well and potential abusers are still paid for their role in making them. If Kotick wanted to set an industry-leading example of how to deal with in-company abuse, he could have done so and regained goodwill among employees and fans. As of now, it seems like Activision is sadly following the example Ubisoft continues to set in its willful inaction.
Source: Wall Street Journal