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20.12.2023 - 20:33 / polygon.com / Phil Spencer / Lulu Cheng Meservey / Bobby Kotick / Matt Booty
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is officially resigning from the company after the completion of Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of the gaming developer and publisher. Kotick’s last day is Dec. 29, when Microsoft studio head Matt Booty will take lead of the Activision Blizzard executive leadership team. Kotick led Activision Blizzard for 32 years.
Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard leadership team remains largely the same, though several executives are also leaving soon, like chief communications officer Lulu Cheng Meservey, who plans to depart in January. Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced the changes in an internal memo, later obtained by The Verge. The leadership shakeup spans departments, but Spencer said the majority of employees will see no different.
“For most of you, your day-to-day work will remain the same — it’s still business as usual in bringing more groundbreaking experiences to more players around the world,” he wrote. “At the leadership level, these changes will provide the clarity and accountability that is necessary to achieve our ambitious goals and foster a culture that is welcoming, empowering, and committed to Gaming for Everyone.”
In October, Microsoft shuffled several executives; that’s when Booty was promoted to president of game content and studios and Sarah Bond was named Xbox president, where she oversees the console and platform business.
Kotick joined Activision in 1991 and has led the company into many key moments, like the Activision and Vivendi Games merger in 2008 that created the Activision Blizzard of today. Later, in 2016, Activision Blizzard acquired King, the mobile game company. But behind those successes, Activision Blizzard employees questioned Kotick’s leadership in 2021 when workers called for his resignation following the company response to the California Civil Rights department’s investigation into sexual harassment and discrimination at the company.
Because of this, Kotick’s future at the company has been of interest to both the public and employees. However, that lawsuit was settled earlier this month for $55 million, most of which will go toward women at the company. With this settlement, CRD has withdrawn its accusations of systemic sexual harassment issues.
Activision Blizzard and Microsoft will pay Kotick a “golden parachute” of at least $15 million, according to financial documents, a number that likely leaves out Kotick’s extensive shares in the company.
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It’s always nice to think that certain industries are “above harassment” or other things that have weighed down our world. But, sadly, that faith is rarely rewarded. The places and companies that should be the most “sound of mind” sometimes turn out to be the most corrupt or have some of the most hate-filled people around. For example, the video game industry is full of horror stories about the working conditions of certain places and the abuses made by those in power. And that says nothing about gamers themselves. But in the case of Activision Blizzard, they had an issue that was so grand that it resulted in several lawsuits, and those suits keep on coming.
Activision-Blizzard has been the centre of a lot of controversy over these past few years. After a lawsuit went public, detailing «numerous complaints about unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation» and a «frat boy» culture, plus claims from former CEO Bobby Kotick that the whole thing was just an «aggressive labour movement,» the company finally settled last year.
An unnamed former Activision executive is taking the Call of Duty publisher to court in California, accusing the company of age discrimination and violating the state's whistleblower protection law. Said executive is a 57-year-old who worked at the company from 2014; apparently, he and six other men aged 47 or older were cut from a team of 200, as part of broader Activision Blizzard restructuring efforts last August.
A former Activision Blizzard executive has filed a discrimination claim with the company, alleging it of discriminating against «old white guys».
A former Activision executive has sued the publisher in California state court accusing the company of age discrimination and violating the state's whistleblower protection law, as reported by Law360.
Bobby Kotick’s last day at renowned gaming megacorporation Activision Blizzard was Friday, December 29th, 2023. He leaves with a $15 million… departure salary? In casual terms, it’s a “golden parachute.” He’s 60 years old. He’ll be fine.
This July, Blizzard announced it would bring back its games to Steam after several years of absence, beginning with Overwatch 2. However, the team-based first-person shooter game's debut on Valve's platform was marred by severe review bombing. Overwatch 2 actually became the lowest-rated game of all time on Steam when it first became available there. While the game isn't quite as popular as its predecessor, it still is a solid product that shouldn't be rated anywhere near as low. The main factor was the cancellation of the PvE mode, which angered fans due to the developer's broken promise, but that's not the whole story.
It's official: Bobby Kotick has left Activision Blizzard. After 32 years of leading the company, originally just Activision before the Blizzard merger, the controversial CEO is gone, having seen the Microsoft acquisition through to the end.
Long-time Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick is leaving the company following its acquisition by Microsoft in October. Kotick will depart on 29th December, with Microsoft largely keeping the company’s core leadership intact outside of this.
Long-time Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick is leaving the company following its acquisition by Microsoft in October. Kotick will depart on 29th December, with Microsoft largely keeping the company’s leadership intact outside of this.
The CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, is officially stepping down from his role later this month, it’s been confirmed.