It's been an eventful, chaotic time for Activision Blizzard. Mired in sexual harassment lawsuits, workplace controversies, delaying several high-profile projects (including the annual BlizzCon convention), and the stock price plummeting, the future of this industry giant had never felt so uncertain as it did in 2021. Something needed to change.
That change came in the form of Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard in January 2022 for nearly $69 billion, bringing yet another major video game company into the fold. With Microsoft publicly criticizing the way the leadership of Activision Blizzard has handled the situation in the last couple of months, as well as denouncing the actions that got them in their current predicament, it is plain that the new ownership has ambitious designs in mind to course-correct, and in order to do that, they must first address its CEO, Bobby Kotick.
To put it simply, the future of Bobby Kotick as the head Activision Blizzard is likely coming to an end. Following a transitory period after Microsoft formally acquires the company, Bobby Kotick is expected to stand down as CEO and take on a smaller role before receiving a $375 million windfall. One anonymous employee told Washington Post that though the people working at Activision Blizzard were optimistic about the buyout by Microsoft, they remained wary of Kotick's behavior, who arrived several minutes late to a fireside meeting meant to reassure employees on the transition, before prematurely concluding it after just 16 minutes.
During the meeting, Bobby Kotick likened the company to be as important as his children, implying that if he were to relinquish his hold on Activision Blizzard, he would do so bitterly. He reiterated that he would remain the CEO of the company during the transitory period and for as long as he was needed afterwards, claiming that Microsoft's plan was to retain as many of Activision Blizzard's people as possible, and that it was his goal to make the transition and acquisition as smooth as possible. Bobby Kotick was reportedly against Microsoft acquiring Activision prior to the buyout.
Yet until the torch is passed to Microsoft, the fear and anger tied up to Bobby Kotick will remain – the employee explained to Washington Post. They further went on to say that with no mention of the strike, lawsuit, or any of the other issues plaguing Activision Blizzard, Kotick may as well have not held a meeting at all.
While signs point that his tenure at the company won't be long after the acquisition is complete, removing Kotick would be the first and necessary step in rebuilding Blizzard's reputation and trust with its customers – something which its current head, Mike Ybarra, stated was an important goal in the coming years.
Source: Washington Post