Bobby Kotick finally responds to Activision Blizzard employees: Our first reaction was 'sound deafness'
Bobby Kotick approves new employee support practices and personnel changes.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has released a letter to all employees following the company's lawsuit alleging widespread sexual harassment and discrimination. In his letter, Kotick describes the company's initial reactions to the lawsuit as "obviously deaf", promising that the leadership is "immediately evaluating the managers and leaders in the company." The letter came the evening before a planned strike by Activision Blizzard employees.
Activision Blizzard's initial response to the lawsuit was vehement denial, and a spokesperson described the allegations as "false and in many cases false". Then the tone changed, with Blizzard president J Allen Brack calling the lawsuit "extremely disturbing" in an internal email, and Activision president Rob Kostich calling them "extremely disturbing".
The lawsuit and Activision Blizzard's response to it drew widespread criticism from current and former Activision Blizzard employees, resulting in plans to fire an employee on July 28. Kotick's statement is the first clear expression of these concerns.
The disclosure is available here on the Activision Blizzard investor website and is pasted in full below.