Activision Blizzard Workers Hit Back at Bobby Kotick’s Claims of “Fake” Harassment Lawsuits

Activision Blizzard employees parried off at company’s former CEO Bobby Kotick’s claim, labeling the company’s harassment lawsuits and a petition of his removal calling for his removal as “fake”.

Speaking on the Kleiner Perkins podcast, Kotick suggested that the harassment-related lawsuits Activision faced under his leadership were part of a larger plan orchestrated by the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union to drive membership. This claim, however, has been categorically rejected by those who worked at Activision Blizzard during the height of the scandal.

The ABetterABK worker group, which led much of the employee activism during the harassment scandals in Activision Blizzard, responded to Eurogamer’s coverage of the Kleiner Perkins podcast episode with Kotick, insisting that the trauma, discrimination, and abuse endured by workers was real, and not part of any manufactured agenda.

“The executives of our company did not protect us and often made the situation worse or directly perpetuated the harm,” stated the ABetterABK workers group. They further emphasized that the very real issues faced by employees were not fabricated or part of any union-driven plot but stemmed from a lack of accountability within the company’s leadership.

In response to Kotick’s speculations, former senior UI engineer Valentine Powell, who led several walkouts during the scandal, shared a social media thread detailing his time at Blizzard.

Powell, who was vocal about the company’s internal issues, explained how early efforts to address inequities, including salary and promotion concerns, were dismissed by leadership long before any discussion of unionization took place.

“I was The One who started the petition to remove Bobby Kotick as CEO. I was the first name on the list, and that petition had nothing to do with CWA,” Powell stated, underscoring Kotick’s theory that the demand for his removal as CEO was a union-driven effort.

The allegations against Activision Blizzard culminated in a series of legal actions from various US government agencies, resulting in the company settling with payouts to those who experienced harassment. 

ABetterABK’s statement wrapped up by rejecting Kotick’s claim that the union was merely a third-party entity: “We are workers with a vested interest in making our company the best it can be.” This sentiment was echoed by Powell, who concluded that Kotick’s comments were simply another attempt to deflect responsibility from a leadership that had consistently failed to address worker concerns.

On July 20, 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, alleging that the company has fostered a culture in which female employees endure regular sexual harassment and experience discrimination and retaliation.

The lawsuit contended that a woman employee is said to have taken her own life while on a business trip, following a period of “intense sexual harassment.” This harassment reportedly included colleagues sharing nude photos of her during a company holiday party. Allegations suggest that human resources failed to maintain confidentiality when handling sexual harassment complaints, which led to retaliation against those who reported misconduct. Retaliatory actions included denial of promotions, unwanted departmental transfers, prioritization for layoffs, and exclusion from desirable projects.

After Activision Blizzard dismissed the claims in the lawsuit as false while acting at the time Activision CEO Bobby Kotick promised the company would internally review the allegations, more than 2,600 of the company’s 9,500 staff signed an open letter demanding the company take the allegations seriously and make changes.