Activision Blizzard employees have staged a walkout today following a Wall Street Journal report stating CEO Bobby Kotick has known about instances of sexual misconduct at the publisher and its studios dating back to 2018.

We have instituted our own Zero Tolerance Policy. We will not be silenced until Bobby Kotick has been replaced as CEO, and continue to hold our original demand for Third-Party review by an employee-chosen source. We are staging a Walkout today. We welcome you to join us.

— ABetterABK 💙 ABK Workers Alliance (@ABetterABK) November 16, 2021

The report which follows months of reporting, interviews, and documents obtained by the WSJ claims that Kotick knew of numerous sexual assault and harassment claims at the publisher and its stable of studios for years. The report also states that Kotick did not notify the board of directors of an out-of-court settlement to an employee who accused a supervisor of rape. That is a major no-no. Boards for billion-dollar companies like to know of these things.

Just last month, Kotick agreed to take a massive pay cut down to $62,500 per year until Activision Blizzard’s board feels that diversity, equity, and inclusion goals are met. 

In hindsight, the board may need to reconsider that decision entirely and perhaps seek tougher action against Kotick.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]