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20.12.2023 - 22:08 / destructoid.com / Phil Spencer / Bobby Kotick / Matt Booty / Will
It’s official: The Bobby Kotick era at Activision Blizzard will end on December 29. According to The Verge, Instead of appointing a new replacement, the top Activision Blizzard executives will now report to Microsoft’s game content and studios president Matt Booty. Several more higher-level Activision Blizzard employees will also leave the company in the new year with departures planned through March 2024.
It looks like the ripple effects of Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will really go into full effect in the new year. In an internal memo, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer highlighted some of the changes including the departure of Lulu Meservey at the end of January and Humam Sakhini at the end of December. In March, Vice Chariman of Activision Blizzard Thomas Tippl will leave the company as well as Chief Administrative Officer Brian Bulatao, Chief People Officer Julie Hodges, Chief Legal Officer Grant Dixton, and CFO Armin Zerza.
After 32 years with the company, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick’s reign comes to an end. His resignation comes just two months after the acquisition of the company by Microsoft. After joining Activision in 1991, Kotick was responsible for several larger acquisitions in the industry including the Vivendi Games merger in 2008 that created Activision Blizzard and the acquisition of mobile game developer King.
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows with Kotick. Just a few weeks ago his company agreed to pay over $54 million in a settlement with the California Civil Rights Department to settle a very messy workplace discrimination lawsuit.
Kotick will receive a farewell payout of at least $15 million when he leaves the company next week.
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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.
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.
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