News/CWA vs. Bobby Kotick: Difference between revisions

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News/CWA vs. Bobby Kotick
(Created page with "{{News |seo_title=CWA vs. Bobby Kotick |seo_keywords=Bobby Kotick |image=Activision-blizzard-16466297494x3.jpg |tags=Activision |date=2025-02-14T13:30:49.000Z |sources={{NewsSource |source=Games Industry |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/unions-slam-bobby-koticks-claims-that-activision-blizzard-harassment-reports-were-fake |article=News/CWA vs. Bobby Kotick }} |author=Andura |category=Drama |content=Modern Times Group (MTG) has successfu...")
 
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|content=[[Companies/Modern Times Group|Modern Times Group]] (MTG) has successfully completed its $620 million acquisition of Plarium from Aristocrat Leisure Limited, finalizing a deal that was initially signed in November 2024. As part of the agreement, $20 million will be deferred to 2026.
|content=The Communication Workers of America (CWA) has condemned former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick’s comments claiming that the numerous reports of harassment during his tenure at the company were "fake."


With the deal now closed, MTG will begin the process of onboarding Plarium and fully integrating it into the group.
"Bobby Kotick’s comments on a podcast uplifting billionaires are both insulting to the Activision workers who spoke out about the harassment they faced and unsurprising," a CWA spokesperson told RPS in an emailed statement. "Fortunately for workers, Kotick is gone and thousands of workers have organized unions with CWA without intimidation or interference and now have a voice at work."


The deal includes the potential for an earn-out of $30 million based on revenue from Raid: Shadow Legends in 2025, as well as a further $170 million contingent on Plarium's revenue in 2028.
During a wide-ranging interview on the Grit podcast, Kotick also described the petition signed by 1,300 employees calling for his resignation as "fake" and suggested that the CWA had initiated the complaints after the union "started looking at technology" and "were losing members at a really dramatic rate."


'''More:'''[[News/Brawl Stars Esports Partner Programme Expands|Brawl Stars Esports Partner Programme Expands]]
In July 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, accusing the company of fostering a culture of harassment and discrimination against women. Later that year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kotick was aware of sexual misconduct at the company for years.


"This transformative deal will enable us to realise our ambitions to become a leading European gaming group with one of the strongest portfolios of evergreen mid-core IPs in the world," said MTG President and CEO Maria Redin.
In May 2023, Kotick attributed the firm’s image problems not to the toxic workplace culture that led to multiple gender discrimination lawsuits but to "outside forces" and unionization efforts. By December, Kotick announced he would step down after 30 years at the helm.


"The acquisition of Plarium is a major catalyst for our future growth. It provides us with a unique opportunity to accelerate our execution and strategic delivery. This deal brings together some of the best people in our industry, supported by the tech, tools, and knowledge we have across our group."
"The claims Bobby Kotick presents in the podcast regarding the 'fake lawsuits' are false," a CWA spokesperson added in the statement.
 
Plarium CEO Schraga Mor added, "We are thrilled to join MTG, a company that values Plarium's proven success in the mid-core and casual gaming sectors. Over the past year, we have returned to growth, setting new records and reinforcing our industry leadership – a reflection of our team's exceptional talent."
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Latest revision as of 14:06, 14 February 2025

Written by Dante Uzel on 14 February 2025 13:30

Activision-blizzard-16466297494x3.jpg

Source: Activision Blizzard


The Communication Workers of America (CWA) has condemned former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick’s comments claiming that the numerous reports of harassment during his tenure at the company were "fake."

"Bobby Kotick’s comments on a podcast uplifting billionaires are both insulting to the Activision workers who spoke out about the harassment they faced and unsurprising," a CWA spokesperson told RPS in an emailed statement. "Fortunately for workers, Kotick is gone and thousands of workers have organized unions with CWA without intimidation or interference and now have a voice at work."

During a wide-ranging interview on the Grit podcast, Kotick also described the petition signed by 1,300 employees calling for his resignation as "fake" and suggested that the CWA had initiated the complaints after the union "started looking at technology" and "were losing members at a really dramatic rate."

In July 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, accusing the company of fostering a culture of harassment and discrimination against women. Later that year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Kotick was aware of sexual misconduct at the company for years.

In May 2023, Kotick attributed the firm’s image problems not to the toxic workplace culture that led to multiple gender discrimination lawsuits but to "outside forces" and unionization efforts. By December, Kotick announced he would step down after 30 years at the helm.

"The claims Bobby Kotick presents in the podcast regarding the 'fake lawsuits' are false," a CWA spokesperson added in the statement.

Tags: Activision

Sources:
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