What you need to know
- Today was CEO Bobby Kotick's last day at Activision Blizzard after nearly 33 years with the company.
- Bobby Kotick's resignation came after Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which closed in October.
- Controversy surrounded Kotek's time at the helm, and his departure was met with jubilant outpouring on social media. This includes one story shared by a Call of Duty programmer who claims that Kotick once threatened to “kill an employee.”
As predicted in a memo to employees earlier in December, dramatic leadership changes have been made at Activision Blizzard as the company enters 2024 as its first year under Microsoft's leadership following its $69 billion acquisition. The most notable change was the departure of Activision Blizzard CEO and employee of 33 years, Bobby Kotick.
Today is Bobby's last day at the gaming company, and his exit has prompted some former employees to share stories of his tenure. However, these are not intimate tales of a chance encounter at the water cooler. One former programmer claimed that within a month of starting a Call of Duty project, Kotick allegedly “threatened to kill an employee.”
Serious allegations and settlement out of court
Christina (@chhopsky) makes this confirmation while sharing the news of Bobby Kotick's departure from Activision Blizzard. The tweet reads: “I worked on COD for 2 years as a programmer at Demonware. Bobby's decisions made our games worse.”
Demonware, a software development studio known for collaborating with Activision Blizzard (ABK) on Call of Duty titles, has assisted other studios within ABK. Christina explains more details about her experience working with Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait in her tweet, “In my first month, I learned that he had threatened to kill an employee. And in all the hands-offs that followed, no one wanted to talk first. So I demanded his help. Shooting in front of everyone “(sic)”
This is not the first time we hear this story, and Christina did later in the thread To refer to the claim as Reported by Business Insider Back in 2021. Although it has not been confirmed if this allegation is true, Kotick has faced accusations from numerous employees over the years, of either outright mistreatment or ignoring problematic situations in the workplace and quickly settling complaints out of court.
One specific example Christina seems to be referring to is a reported voicemail left on her assistant's cellphone in 2006, threatening to kill her, as reported by The Guardian. Wall Street Journal (article behind the paywall). The matter was settled out of court, and Activision addressed the matter after the report, saying: “Mr. Kotick quickly apologized 16 years ago for the obvious, exaggerated, and inappropriate voicemail, and he deeply regrets the exaggeration and tone of his voicemail to this day.”
In 2007, Kotick faced a harassment lawsuit from a flight attendant, who claimed he told their legal team, “I will destroy you.” A spokesman for Mr. Kotic denied making such a statement.
Kotick throws Overwatch under the bus
Another former Activision employee recounted Kotick's failed handling of Overwatch 2, which Kotick previously blamed for the company's stock price decline in recent years.
Andy Belford, who previously worked on the community team at Activision-Blizzard, raised the alarm that Overwatch 2 would be bombed immediately after it arrived on Steam. Overwatch 2 remains one of the most negatively reviewed games on the platform to this day, which affected the game's visibility on Steam and also led to a wave of negative press around Overwatch and Blizzard in general.
The community team is moderated (not a community function in Blizz), though I refuse to expose my team members to this level of toxic content/posts. When asked who made the decision to release the game on Steam without any additional help: BobbyDecember 29, 2023
Belford recounted how Bobby Kotick himself was happy to drop the game directly onto Steam without giving the community team any form of additional support. Overwatch 2 and other Blizzard properties have been hit with waves of international hate due to the collapse of the publishing deal between Activision and NetEase in China, resulting in hundreds of thousands of players losing access to games like World of Warcraft and Overwatch itself. Blizzard also faced backlash from the numerous lawsuits it filed, but of course, it wasn't CEO Bobby Kotick who would bear the brunt of this condemnation.
Belford goes on to describe the huge amount of toxicity that was used against his team, due to decisions that none of them were involved in making. He (and many others) have since moved on from the blizzard to greener pastures.
A fresh start for Activision Blizzard under Microsoft?
Bobby Kotick's tenure as CEO has been marred by controversy since an investigation into Activision Blizzard's workplace practices in 2018. The California Department of Civil Rights received a complaint from a former employee, which began a whirlwind of bad publicity for the company. Many place the blame squarely at Bab Kotik. With allegations by the company and Kotick himself of not taking complaints of sexual harassment, assault and unequal pay seriously dating back to 2006.
The lawsuit sparked widespread outrage from the gaming community and will forever cast a shadow over ABK's history. The matter finally ended on December 16, 2023, with Activision Blizzard paying a $54 million settlement, This was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The California Department of Civil Rights reportedly said the settlement resolves allegations of discrimination and pay disparity. According to the Wall Street Journal, Activision said the state has agreed to file an amended complaint withdrawing its 2021 claims alleging widespread and systemic workplace harassment at the company.
Kotick's departure from Activision Blizzard following the Microsoft acquisition came sooner than expected. An internal memo to employees confirmed that it was originally scheduled to be January 2024, and that his last day would be December 29, 2023. This may indicate a “new year, new beginning” for the company under Microsoft's wing. Let's hope this is the case.
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