Activision Blizzard’s controversial CEO Bobby Kotick leaves the company after 33 years

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After the purchase by Microsoft, there is a restructuring in the management of Activision Blizzard

What began in February 1991 as CEO of Activision will end for Bobby Kotick as CEO of Activision Blizzard King on December 29, 2023. The three decades have not been free of scandal for the controversial publisher boss, with the company recently facing a lawsuit for systematic sexism

Internal farewell memo

Two months after the purchase by Microsoft, Bobby Kotick says goodbye to his employees in a memo 

He thanks them for their time and expresses his pride in the company, calling bringing talented people together the most important part of his job.

However, Bobby Kotick has come under criticismin the wake of the sexism lawsuit. He allegedly knew about some incidents and concealed them from the Board of Directors

Further changes in the executive suite

While Microsoft is retaining a large part of the management team, some high-ranking executives are following Bobby Kotick. These include the deputy CEOs Thomas Tippl and Humam Sakhnini.

Activision Blizzard’s head of communications Lulu Cheng Meservey will also leave at the end of January. In the past, she has been accused of actively opposing the formation of a union.

 

Microsoft takes the helm

Xbox boss Phil Spencer also says goodbye to Bobby Kotick in a memo (The Verge) and honors the CEO’s achievements:

“Under Bobby’s watch, Activision Blizzard has been a steady pillar of video games in its many incarnations. Whether Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush Saga or any number of other games, his teams have created beloved franchises and entertained hundreds of millions of players for decades. “

At the same time, Spencer announced that the publisher will now be incorporated into Microsoft Gaming and that the individual branches will report to the head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty 

Bobby Kotick has long been controversial as CEO of Activision Blizzard, even if his role in the publisher’s sexism scandal has not been clarified. What do you think his departure and the Microsoft deal will change at the company? What impact could it have on the development of players and therefore also on gamers? Feel free to write your opinion in the comments: