The American video game giant, regularly singled out for its lack of measures to combat sexual violence, has dismissed 40 employees implicated since July 2021. 40 others have been subject to disciplinary measures.
In turmoil for months for numerous accusations of sexual harassment within it, Activision is beginning to react. Nearly 40 employees of the American video game giant have been fired since July after inappropriate behavior. About forty others were also disciplined for the same reason during the same period, says the wall street journal.
According to the daily, which spoke to sources familiar with the matter, around 700 reports have been recorded by the company over the past seven months. Either for cases of assault, harassment or sexual abuse. Some incidents have also been the subject of several reports. The list of actions taken by Activision was originally supposed to be published before the holiday season, says the Wall Street Journal, but its boss, Bobby Kotick, would have opposed it for fear that it would amplify the setbacks of the group, already in the crosshairs of the American authorities.
A complaint filed at the end of July 2021
At the end of July 2021, an agency in the state of California, where Activision is headquartered, filed a complaint in a civil court in Los Angeles, accusing the publisher of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and candy Crush to have fostered the development of a culture “sexist” and especially to have done nothing to remedy it. In September, the American stock market policeman, the SEC, launched an investigation to determine whether the group had communicated sufficiently about the accusations of harassment and discrimination against it.
Two months later, the wall street journal revealed that Kotick, accused by employees of having sought to hush up several cases, including accusations of rape, was considering resigning if he could not resolve the problems facing Activision. The CEO also seems more than ever in the hot seat. A petition, signed by nearly 20% of the company’s 9,500 employees, calls for the departure of Bobby Kotick, in charge since 1991.
Faced with the multiple allegations, the publisher has already parted ways with one of its executives, mentioned in the California lawsuit, and reached an agreement in September to end further lawsuits from a US federal agency for sexual harassment. , gender discrimination and retaliation. Activision had also confirmed in October more than 20 departures and more than 20 disciplinary measures following complaints and reports.
According to the wall street journal, the company is under pressure from shareholders and business partners demanding that it be more transparent in handling cases of sexual harassment and abuse. At the end of last year, the group’s chief operating officer, Daniel Alegre, pledged to increase the share of female and non-binary employees by 50% over the next five years in order to reach a representation of more one-third of the workforce.