The company seems to have (finally?) taken stock of the situation, and is now working to massively dismiss employees involved in harassment cases.
Since last summer, Blizzard has been keeping a low profile. After the heavy revelations of harassment and sexual assault revealed by the wall street journal, the company has tried to restore its image, in particular by changing leaders and making some changes to its various games. However, she is still far from her rehabilitation. For several months now, the partners have been defiling the scandal affecting the firm. After Nintendo, PlayStation and Microsoft, just a few days ago it was the LEGO brand that postponed the release of a set bearing the image of Overwatch 2, explaining that it wanted “re-examine its partnership” take in account the “persistent allegations about workplace culture” at Activision Blizzard.
Blizzard lays off to buy back an image
To great ills, great remedies. In an attempt to restore an already badly damaged image, Blizzard no longer hesitates to part with its too cumbersome collaborators. In October, the company had already confirmed the dismissal of 20 people, and just as many sanctions against employees still in place. According to a company spokesperson interviewed by the wall street journal, this figure would have increased considerably in recent months: in total, the firm would have operated 37 dismissals and 44 sanctions.
After the departure of J. Allen Brack in August, Robert Kotick had promised to regularly share a public report of the various decisions taken by Blizzard to stem the frat-culture that plagued its ranks. It is clear that since October, the company had not given much news. The company’s spokesperson, however, denied reports that Kotick purposely hid certain numbers so as not to damage Blizzard’s public image. He also refuted the figure stating 700 internal complaints for misconduct filed by employees since July.
The Kotick case
Following the departure of the former management, it was Robert Kotick who took over the reins of a company in the midst of a storm. In November, the wall street journal however confirmed that the businessman was aware of several cases cited by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) complaint, and that it had even gone so far as to protect some of its high-ranking employees. A few days later, a strike action and a petition signed by more than 2,000 employees called for his resignation. For its part, the board of directors of the company had preferred to send him an open letter of support.
