Now that the news about Microsoft taking over Activision Blizzard is out there, questions have started surrounding the deal, including the fate of ABK CEO Bobby Kotick. It now appears that while Bobby Kotick is staying in his role for the time being, he'll be jettisoned by Microsoft once the deal officially goes through.

Whether Bobby Kotick would stay or leave after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard was the biggest question that circulated on the web after news of the massive deal broke. The CEO has been under fire for months for his perceived handling of several controversies surrounding Activision Blizzard, including lawsuits filed by several states over the company's alleged toxic workplace. The company has also been accused of treating employees outside the previous allegations including firing several Raven Software QA Testers without warning. Company leadership is reportedly still refusing to meet with striking employees over that situation.

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Some around the gaming industry voiced concerns over Kotick keeping his job, even after the dust settles. They pointed to comments made by Microsoft Chief Satya Nadella, who praised the ABK CEO for his leadership and his dedication to creating change inside Activision Blizzard. However, a report by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday claims that once the takeover is official, Kotick will be given his walking papers.

Bobby Kotick Activision logo

The publication further reported that sources told it that both companies involved in the merger agreed that Bobby Kotick leaving his post as part of the larger deal. It's possible that's one of the reasons that the Activision Blizzard chief reportedly didn't want the acquisition to go through. While he has pushed a positive outlook on the merger, he's also fought over the last few months to keep his job.

So far, there's been no confirmation from either company involved on just what Kotick's role would or wouldn't be once everything is completed. The only real statement on leadership when the dust settles is that whoever is leading Activision Blizzard when everything is finalized will be reporting directly to Xbox's Phil Spencer, who had previously voiced concern on what was going on at ABK.

If Kotick is shown the door by Microsoft once the deal goes through, he'll likely be getting a very large payout as part of his exit. It could also still be quite a while before he leaves as it's possible the acquisition won't get final approval from regulators until the end of June in 2023. It's possible everything could get finished before then, but it's unlikely Bobby Kotick is leaving anywhere close to right away.

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Source: Wall Street Journal