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Blizzard Outlines Plans To Improve After 'Challenging' 2021
21.1.2022
Blizzard’s 2021 was a year marked by lowlights, with the company beset by allegations of a toxic workplace and rocked by the departures (and firings) of several key personnel. Now, with a new year and likely new ownership as well, president Mike Ybarra has outlined Blizzard’s plan to “rebuild your...
Report: Bobby Kotick Meeting Leaves Activision Blizzard Staffers Unimpressed, Worried
20.1.2022
This morning, Bobby Kotick held an all-hands meeting with Activision Blizzard employees to address Microsoft’s acquisition of the company for $68.7 billion dollars. He stated that Microsoft would be trying to “retain as many of our people as possible,” and that he planned to stay on as the CEO...
Official FAQ For The Microsoft x Activision Blizzard Deal Tries And Fails To Answer Some Questions
20.1.2022
As part of Microsoft’s proposed $70 billion purchase, an official FAQ of sorts has been sent to all Activision Blizzard employees. Sadly not many questions are actually answered, with responses looking more like huge black holes in the shape of things that could be answers. One day. Maybe.Read more
The Real Reasons Activision Blizzard Was Sold, Without Bobby Kotick's PR Spin
19.1.2022
As you probably already heard, Microsoft is looking to purchase Activision Blizzard for a whopping $68.7 billion. But why Activision CEO Bobby Kotick suddenly decided to give up control of the company and where that leaves the beleaguered executive after the ink dries changes depending on who...
Microsoft Is Bringing Activision Blizzard Games To Game Pass
18.1.2022
Alongside news that Microsoft is preparing to acquire Activision Blizzard for $70 billion, the Xbox console maker has confirmed that games from the recently troubled Call of Duty and Warcraft publisher will make their way to Xbox Game Pass.Read more
Report: Bobby Kotick Is Still Trying To Hide The Scale Of Activision's Problems
17.1.2022
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that not only has Activision Blizzard fired dozens of staff in the last few months, but that CEO Bobby Kotick has been hiding that information from the public. Because it might look bad...Read more
Longtime Blizzard Employee Spouted Hateful Garbage On Discord Server
28.12.2021
Geoff Frazier, a former early Blizzard employee who was responsible for much of the company’s web content over the past 23 years, has been posting bigoted and hateful messages in a Discord server going back to May 2021. ABetterABK founder and organizer Jessica Gonzalez tweeted screenshots...
Riot Games Reaches $100 Million Settlement In Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
28.12.2021
Back in 2018, former Riot Games employees Melanie McCracken and Melanie McCracken and Jes Negrón filed a class action suit against the League of Legends publishe over endemic gender-based discrimination and fostering a “men-first” environment. A settlement has now been reached.Read more
World Of Warcraft Turmoil Around Sudden Appearance Of People Of Color Is Surprisingly Complex
18.12.2021
An unofficial World of Warcraft Discord server has been lit ablaze in recent days. Right now, Twitter is full of screenshots showing people decrying Blizzard adding people of color to the MMORPG, with one particular comment complaining about how there are “too many Black humans in Stormwind.” This...
Geoff Keighley Opens Game Awards With Disappointing Vagueness
10.12.2021
Host Geoff Keighley opened the 2021 Game awards by calling on “everyone” to build a “better, safer” environment for games by voting with their time and their dollars.Read more
Inside The Revolt That Led To Activision Blizzard Workers' Historic Unionization Push
9.12.2021
Several Call of Duty developers have revealed to Kotaku that Activision Blizzard’s internal unwillingness to directly respond to the recently announced Raven Software layoffs was what ultimately sparked the just-revealed, broader labor organizing effort at the troubled publisher. Read more
Activision Blizzard Devs Announce Work Stoppage And Strike Fund
9.12.2021
Employees at publishing giant Activision Blizzard, who formed the ABK Worker Alliance, have called on supporters today to donate to a strike fund. They have announced their intention to stop working, in protest of their management’s ongoing response to months of lawsuits and reports about...
Call of Duty QA Testers Face Layoffs After Reportedly Being Promised Raises By Activision
4.12.2021
Today, contract testers at the Call of Duty studio Raven Software were told that the studio would face layoffs on January 28th of next year, a Call of Duty community manager said on Twitter. A source familiar with the goings-on at the company confirmed to Kotaku that for the next few days in early...
Government Officials Pressuring Activision Blizzard Are Now Threatening The Company's Profits
1.12.2021
State treasurers from California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Oregon, Delaware, and Nevada are calling on Activision Blizzard to take more serious measures in addressing ongoing high-profile investigations and lawsuits about the company’s troubling culture. According to Axios, said treasurers have...
Less Than 5 Percent Of Managers At Nintendo HQ Are Women
30.11.2021
Following internal comments by Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser earlier this month about allegations of sexual misconduct and discrimination at Activision Blizzard, Nintendo has updated its Corporate Governance document today with a new commitment to “increase the proportion of women...
Activision's Damage Control Reaches Sad New Low
23.11.2021
Faced with internal unrest, plummeting share prices and a growing public relations disaster, the men and women at the very top of Activision Blizzard—the senior executives and board of directors—should all be resigning. Instead, they’ve put out a desperate press release in the middle of the night...
Report: Nintendo Of America President Says Activision's Harassment Stories Are 'Distressing And Disturbing'
23.11.2021
Activision’s self-serving response to historic allegations of abuse and misogyny in its workplace has been drawing a lot of criticism lately, from shareholders demanding the resignation of CEO Bobby Kotick to staff staging multiple walkouts. Now Nintendo of America has reportedly joined the chorus...
Report: Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Will 'Consider' Quitting If He Can't 'Fix' Company's Culture
22.11.2021
Besieged Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who last week was the subject of staff walkouts and shareholder calls for his resignation, has reportedly said he will “consider leaving the company” if he can’t speedily address the harassment issues that have made headlines around the world this...
Girls Who Code Ends Relationship With Activision Blizzard Following Latest Revelations
19.11.2021
Nonprofit organization Girls Who Code, which specializes in teaching computer science to young women and other marginalized groups, will no longer affiliate itself with Activision Blizzard, after the multibillion-dollar corporation came under fire yet again in a scathing new round...
Over 1200 Activision Blizzard Employees Sign Petition Demanding CEO Bobby Kotick Quit
19.11.2021
The ABK Workers Alliance, a group of Activision Blizzard workers formed in response to the company’s treatment of its employees, began circulating a petition earlier today for anyone working at the publisher’s studios and offices to sign. It has now been endorsed by over 1200 workers.Read more