Xbox boss Phil Spencer is looking into the company’s relationship with Activision-Blizzard as the public outcry against its CEO, Bobby Kotick, continues to escalate. In an email sent to the gaming leadership team at Microsoft, Spencer bemoaned the current situation and wrote that he was “disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions” taken by Kotick.
Spencer added that he is “evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments. This type of behavior has no place in our industry.”
It is unclear as to what steps Microsoft might take, but given that Xbox is a key platform for Activision-Blizzard games, they certainly have a lot to mull over. The allegations against Kotick are the latest in a long line of revelations about the company that have emerged since the State of California filed a lawsuit against the firm for violating civil rights and equal pay laws, which contained further claims of discrimination and harassment. This suit is now one of many that Activision-Blizzard faces over its workplace issues.
Spencer’s comments follow those from PlayStation head Jim Ryan, who wrote in a similar email to his own staff that Activision-Blizzard “has not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment.” Activision-Blizzard and its board of directors stand by Kotick in the aftermath of the original report, even reportedly claiming there is no evidence to warrant punishment for the CEO under the company’s “zero-tolerance” policy of harassment. Several Activision-Blizzard shareholders, led by SOC Investment Group, have called for Kotick’s resignation, as have more than 700 of the publisher’s staff and contractors in a petition started by the ABK Workers Alliance.
(All information was provided by GamesIndustry Biz)
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