Activision Blizzard’s longtime CEO will leave the company, just over two months after its acquisition by Microsoft Corp.
In an email to employees that the video game company made public, Kotick looked back on his 32-year tenure with nostalgia and thanked employees “who tirelessly helped build this company.”
According to a separate memo obtained by The Verge, his last day will be December 29.
“You have transformed a hobbyist form of entertainment into the most compelling medium in the world,” Kotick said in his farewell email, adding that one of the most important parts of his work was “fostering an environment that promotes inspiration, creativity and relentless encourages dedication. towards excellence.”
Last week, Activision agreed to pay nearly $55 million to settle a California civil rights lawsuit that initially alleged a pervasive, toxic culture within the company, including complaints of widespread sexual harassment, discrimination and pay disparities.
Activision denied the allegations and the workplace harassment claims were dropped from the latest amended complaint. In 2021, Kotick admitted that he had responded “tone deaf” to the claims – which led to strikes in the summer of 2021 – while promising to improve working conditions.
No new CEO has been named yet, but The Verge reported that most of Activision’s management team will remain intact as the company merges with Microsoft’s gaming business.
Activision produces popular video games such as ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘World of Warcraft’. Microsoft’s $69 billion purchase of the company was completed in mid-October, after a nearly two-year regulatory battle.
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