Activision Blizzard Employees Stage A Walkout
As news of the lawsuit and its allegations spread through Activision Blizzard’s workforce, many employees staged a walkout in response. Tempers didn’t calm down afterward. If anything, emotions rose after reports hit that many higher-ups knew about the accusations and did nothing about them. Over 100 employees walked out in protest and shared a clear demand: Fire CEO Bobby Kotick. Moreover, well over 2,000 employees signed a letter that called the company out on their response.
According to the organization behind many of the employee protests, ABK Workers Alliance, many of the employees’ demands have not been met. That was true back in August of 2021, and it is still true today. Moreover, the Communication Workers of America labor union called Activision Blizzard’s $18 million settlement deal over sexual harassment allegations, “a slap in the face” since the company is worth $72 billion.
Fans and News Outlets Refuse to Play and Cover Activision Blizzard Games
Shortly after the sexual harassment lawsuit came to light, a huge portion of the Blizzard fanbase boycotted the company and its games. Many gamers and streamers, including those who were known for playing titles like World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, refused to touch the games. They weren’t alone, as sites such as The Gamer, Prima Games, and GameXplain elected to cease all coverage of Activision Blizzard titles. No good news, no bad news, just deafening silence until, as The Gamer Editor in Chief Kirk McKeand put it, “there’s some real change.”
Allegations Against Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Are Made Public
Recently, many allegations regarding Activision Blizzard’s CEO, Bobby Kotick, have come to light. For instance, according to the Wall Street Journal, he once sent an intimidating voicemail to one of his assistants, threatening to kill her. And yes, he also allegedly knew about the sexual harassment in his company and did nothing about it. Well, that’s not entirely true — he apparently protected the perpetrators and refused to report the incidents to the company’s board of directors. This led to another lawsuit filed by investors angry over Kotick’s “issuing materially false and misleading statements during a class action period.”
It’s little wonder the internet is celebrating Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. Many people see it as an opportunity to finally have Kotick fired and held accountable for his alleged crimes and misdeeds.
Some of Activision Blizzard’s Worst Offenders Frequented a Hotel Room Known as the “Cosby Suite”
Back when BlizzCon was a large, live expo, many Blizzard employees slept in a local hotel to stay close to the convention center. Each employee had his or her own assigned room, including Alex Afrasiabi. Unfortunately, Afrasiabi’s harassments were so notorious and purportedly well-known as far back as 2013 that his BlizzCon hotel room was nicknamed “the Cosby Suite.”
