In a surprise move, tech titan Microsoft has reported it will be buying Activision Blizzard for $68.7 million dollars. This news is particularly interesting due to the fiasco currently unfolding at Blizzard Entertainment, where investigations delving into numerous claims of sexual misconduct and harassment are ongoing.
People want to know what this buyout will mean for the companies. Questions are being asked about how investigations of Activision Blizzard will proceed; Activision Blizzard has fired employees over the investigations, but people are questioning whether Microsoft will continue to clean house.
In the wake of the news, the ABK Workers Alliance issued a statement on Twitter concerning the buyout. The account's statement affirmed its commitment to end abuse in the gaming workforce and community regardless of who is in charge of Activision Blizzard.
The Activision-Blizzard-King Workers Alliance is a group formed by employees from different groups of Activision Blizzard and other entities owned by Activision Blizzard. The group's mission is to end abuse in the gaming workforce, seeking to gain equal treatment for all Activision Blizzard employees. To this end, the group has set up a Twitter account to promote its message, as well as a GoFundMe for those that wish to support its cause.
The most relevant piece of its response towards the Microsoft buyout is concern over whether Bobby Kotick will remain as Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard. Kotick, who is under investigation for reportedly knowing about sexual allegations, misconduct, and harassment of employees within the company and doing nothing about them, is set to remain as CEO for now. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella even voiced support for Kotick. Microsoft may reconsider this position in the future, but its latest press release as well as Nadella's statement bode ill for substantial change in the companies.
These statements were certainly taken as a slap in the face by ABK Workers Alliance, who stated it will continue to push for Kotick's removal from his position in the company, as well as pushing for better treatment of employees throughout the company. In its Twitter statement, it revealed that there has been no management response to Raven QA strikes; Raven QA is a group that works on Call of Duty titles. Also, ABK said that only one of its 4 demands towards Activision Blizzard for improving the conditions of women at work have been met.
Not only were the sexual misconduct allegations disturbing, but the response from Activision Blizzard as a company has been lackluster at best. Microsoft's full acquisition won't occur until June 2023, so perhaps Microsoft will be able to right the ship in the future. However, with no concern being shown towards Bobby Kotick's position or actions, only time will tell whether any meaningful change will be enacted.