Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.
The ongoing lawsuit against Activision Blizzard lost a prosecutor Wednesday, April 13, allegedly due to interference by California Governor Gavin Newsom. In July of 2021, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (CDFEH) capped off a multi-year investigation into Activision Blizzard with a lawsuit against the game developer and publisher on the grounds of alleged discrimination, abuse, and more.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Activision Blizzard in the wake of this, including a more recent wrongful death lawsuit from the parents of an employee who took her own life in 2017. Walkouts and boycotts were also staged by employees and consumers respectively in response to the many allegations. This had drastic effects on some of the company’s most notable intellectual properties, such as World of Warcraft and Overwatch. Following outcries from fans of the games, both were altered to remove references to employees that were accused of impropriety in the original lawsuit and subsequent evidence that has made its way to public eyes since.
Now, one of the lawyers involved in the Activision Blizzard lawsuit has decided to step down because California Governor Gavin Newsom allegedly “began to interfere” in the suit. As of April 13, 2022, Melanie Proctor is the former assistant chief counsel for CDFEH after her resignation according to CharlieIntel on Twitter. Proctor, “one of the top [lawyers] behind the Activision Blizzard lawsuit” sent an email to her colleagues earlier this week announcing her resignation, stating that her departure was in protest of her boss, Janette Wipper, being “abruptly fired by the governor.” Furthermore, she claims that despite winning in state court, “[Newsom’s] interference increased, mimicking the interests of Activision’s counsel.”
As the lawsuit continues to develop, Activision Blizzard has made multiple attempts at improving company-wide behaviors, such as terminating some employees that were thought to be problematic, making statements to employees and the public with promises to do better, and giving Activision QA testers full-time jobs instead of part-time and freelance work. Despite these actions, many in the gaming industry and community believe it doesn’t do enough to address the leadership concerns at the company. Current Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has received much criticism, often being accused of not taking appropriate action sooner.
The leadership at Activision Blizzard is expected to undergo various changes in the near future. Currently, a deal is being finalized for Microsoft to buy Activision Blizzard for over $68 million, and aside from the normal restructuring that often comes with acquisitions, there are varying reports on whether or not Kotick will maintain his position as CEO. Some view this as a disastrous move by Microsoft given Activision Blizzard’s many controversial headlines, but there’s potential for such a purchase to shift the culture of Activision Blizzard as a whole. While it'll be difficult to say what the ramifications are until the deal goes through, it’s hard to believe that things will remain stagnant.
Source: CharlieIntel