Following Xbox, PlayStation, and most recently Nintendo’s comments regarding the current Activision Blizzard situation, the ESA has released a statement on the current state of affairs. Earlier last week, a new report revealed that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick was reportedly aware about the alleged abuse and misconduct within the company for years. The report also alleges that he demonstrated his own toxic personality where he allegedly threatened to have an assistant killed or reportedly overruled a decision to fire Treyarch co-head Dan Bunting following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment.
Speaking with Gamesindustry.biz, the ESA said “harassment, abuse or mistreatment of any kind in the workplace is unacceptable and must never be tolerated. When allegations arise, people impacted need to have their voices heard. Any allegation needs to be acknowledged, thoroughly investigated, and addressed with meaningful consequences. The vitality of our industry requires that everyone in the workplace – and in our communities – feel valued and respected. As an industry association, the ESA convenes its member companies to create dialogue and shape actions to ensure that these beliefs are realized.”
After the recent report was released, Activision Blizzard employees staged another walkout. More than 1,800 employees called for Kotick’s resignation in a petition. Another petition from non-employees also called for the CEO to resign. More than 10,000 signatures have been signed. A group of Activision Blizzard shareholders have also called for Kotick’s resignation. The group said “In contrast to past company statements, CEO Bobby Kotick was aware of many incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault and gender discrimination at Activision Blizzard, but failed either to ensure that the executives and managers responsible were terminated or to recognize and address the systematic nature of the company’s hostile workplace culture.” In recent meeting with executives, Bobby Kotick said that he would consider resigning if he is unable to fix the company’s workplace issues “with speed.”