The games industry must not tolerate people like Bobby Kotick anymore

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal published a powerful and damning report revealing Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick's role in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct and mistreatment that have recently plagued the company. It's a story that details a culture of complicit silence and cover-ups, out-of-court settlements, multiple failures to communicate serious incidents to the board, and on one occasion, his allegedly threatening to have one employee killed.

It's a distressing read, sadly made all the more shocking by the follow-up statement from Activision Blizzard's board of directors. "Under Bobby Kotick's leadership," it reads, "the Company is already implementing industry leading changes including a zero tolerance harassment policy, a dedication to achieving significant increases to the percentages of women and non-binary people in our workforce and significant internal and external investments to accelerate opportunities for diverse talent. The Board remains confident that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention."

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