Harassment at Activision Blizzard: Board sees no systemic misconduct

Activision Blizzard made some negative headlines over a sexism and discrimination scandal. Over time, allegations against the company’s CEO, Bobby Kotick, were also raised. Accordingly, he was aware of the allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by some of his employees. Another allegation is that the “frat boy culture” is widespread in the company. An expert report commissioned by the board of directors now acquits the CEO and the company of these allegations. The allegations are neither systemic nor do they affect Bobby Kotick in particular.

In principle, the report does not question allegations of sexual harassment, but does not consider them to be systemic either. And so it is said that individual experiences do not necessarily reflect the overall picture in the company. Moreover, the conclusion released on June 16 by the US Securities and Exchange Commission was presented, to “increasingly stronger, more determined and coordinated steps”. There is no evidence that Activision Blizzard officers have ever intentionally ignored or attempted to downplay instances of gender-based harassment that have occurred and been reported.

In parallel with this investigation, Activision Blizzard said it also commissioned the former chairman of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Gilbert Casellas, to evaluate investigative reports on “gender-based harassment” in the United States between September 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021 . Again, the finding is that there is no widespread or systematic harassment at Activision Blizzard. In fact, the extent of employee misconduct is “comparatively low” for a company of this size.

Finally, the report lists some changes that Activision Blizzard has made in recent years to improve conditions for employees. These include expanding the Ethics and Compliance team, investing in more training, improving transparency around diversity and pay, and introducing new drug and alcohol policies for corporate events. On the next page, learn how Activision Blizzard views the role of the media.