The audio above incorrectly states that Activision has 9,500 employees in Texas. It is actually the total number of employees at the company.
On Tuesday, employees at Activision Blizzard, the company behind blockbuster video games like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, walked off the job for the second time in recent months, amid allegations of sexual misconduct and pay discrimination.
The walkout came after a Wall Street Journal investigation alleged that longtime Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has not addressed the issues that led to an earlier walkout in July, and has himself been accused of sexual harassment.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga says employee anger surfaced this summer after news of a state of California investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and harassment, as well as pay discrimination, against female employees.
Highlights from this segment:
– The Wall Street Journal investigation says Kotick had not taken steps to address the issues raised by the investigation, and had not informed the company’s board of those issues.
– Activision Blizzard originally responded defensively to the California investigation and the first employee walkout, but has since backtracked, acknowledging the criticism.
– The company has also faced pressure on its stock price after delaying two upcoming game releases.
– Besides a perceived “frat boy” culture, employees have clashed with company leadership, some of whom have ties to Republican presidential administrations.
