Activision Blizzard's Former Exec Accussed the Studio of Discrimination Against "Old White Guys"

In early January 2024, a 57-year-old former employee of Activision Blizzard filed a lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit accused Activision Blizzard and its former CEO Bobby Kotick of discrimination against "old white guys." The plaintiff provided several examples of ageism that he experienced. According to the lawsuit, during one of the leadership conferences, CEO Bobby Kotick openly stated that the company had "too many old white guys" referring to it as a "problem." Consequently, two white executives chose to leave the company, partly due to Kotick's ageist remarks.

After several top managers left the company, the former executive was recommended for one of the vacant positions. However, his candidacy was rejected, and he was replaced by a younger, non-white employee who created a hostile work environment. This not only affected the plaintiff's chances of receiving a salary increase but also led him to file a complaint with the HR department regarding discrimination and slander from his colleagues.

Unfortunately, as the plaintiff claims, the complaint was "ignored and he was not taken seriously", so he was unable to resolve the issues he faced through legal means. In August 2023, the plaintiff's department laid off several employees, including seven men aged 47 years and older, including himself.

In his lawsuit, the former exec is seeking compensation from Activision Blizzard for lost earnings, damage to his reputation, wrongful termination, and damages to his potential career development. Additionally, the plaintiff expects Activision Blizzard to cover all legal costs associated with the case.

GamesIndustry.biz stated that after they had published the article regarding the alleged discrimination case, Activision Blizzard contacted them and sent to the studio's equal employment opportunity policy.

Activision Blizzard is no stranger to accusations and cases connected to discrimination if you want to know what I'm talking about, you can check these articles.

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