Enlarge / Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, in June, arriving to court docket in San Francisco to testify within the Federal Commerce Fee’s swimsuit to cease Microsoft’s acquisition of the corporate Kotick has led for 33 years. (credit score: Getty Photos)
Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, emailed workers after information of Microsoft’s profitable $69 billion acquisition to say that he was “totally dedicated to serving to with the transition” and that he would keep on as CEO by way of the top of 2023.
Kotick’s assertion left some ambiguity about his plans for 2024, however Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier experiences that on January 1, Kotick will depart. It is “an enormous change for the online game trade,” Schreier writes, which appears nearly restrained, given Kotick’s longevity and up to date historical past. A number of workers Schreier spoke to are “very excited for this deal to undergo,” particularly to see management change.
Kotick, who has led Activision for greater than 30 years and orchestrated its merger with Blizzard, had thought-about stepping down in late 2021. Following a lawsuit from the state of California alleging a “frat boy tradition” rife with pay disparity and sexual harassment, a Wall Avenue Journal report alleged that Kotick didn’t act on a whole lot of abuse allegations throughout the firm and in addition saved the corporate’s board of administrators in the dead of night. Activision was additionally sued by its shareholders and pressured by state treasurers over its secrecy and responses relating to the California lawsuit. All of this led to an worker walkout and requires Kotick’s resignation.
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