Organisers of today’s staff walkout at Activision Blizzard are pressing ahead with the protest, saying the statement released by company boss Bobby Kotick overnight “fails to address critical elements at the heart of the employee concerns”.
Activision Blizzard employees announced strike action last night, in protest against the company’s response to a recent lawsuit from California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing which alleged a “frat boy” work culture that created “a breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women”.
Activision Blizzard immediately went on the offensive when news of the lawsuit initially hit the headlines, calling it “irresponsible behaviour from unaccountable State bureaucrats that are driving many of the State’s best businesses out of California”. Senior company executive Fran Townsend later doubled down on the attack in an email to all employees, describing the legal action as “truly meritless and irresponsible”.
Criticism was swift. More than 2,000 current and former Activision Blizzard staff signed a petition describing the company’s response as “abhorrent and insulting”, and called for “official statements that recognise the seriousness of these allegations and demonstrate compassion for victims of harassment and assault”.