Activision Blizzard employees are not the happy sort right now, with various allegations of toxic culture plaguing their workplace. However, it seems like Microsoft's recent buyout of their company is giving them cause to hope for the best.
A report by Bloomberg reveals that a good number of workers from the embattled studio/publisher are optimistic about the $69 billion deal, which saw Microsoft gain ownership of one of the most successful conglomerates in gaming.
They are hoping that the negative status quo will change with the merger, because anything that keeps it going is unacceptable. This largely involves CEO Bobby Kotick and his management team, who has been tagged in scandal after scandal that has led to the state of California filing a sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit.
For the unaware, Activision has been mired in controversy since last year. Allegations of toxic, "frat house-like" workplace culture abound, with women and minorities seemingly bearing the brunt of the issue.
Kotick was reportedly complicit about the workplace abuse, which has prompted over 1,800 of the company's roughly 10,000 workers to petition for him to step down. With the Microsoft merger, Kotick's resignation is seen as imminent. But it might not be as swift as some of these employees might have wanted it.
According to Reuters, Kotick is scheduled to step down once the entire deal closes in June 2023. What this means is that employees will have to endure having him as CEO for over a year more.
SUN VALLEY, ID - JULY 07: Bobby Kotick, chief executive officer of Activision Blizzard Inc., attends the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 7, 2015 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Many of the worlds wealthiest and most powerful business people from media, finance, and technology attend the annual week-long conference which is in its 33nd year.
Activision has expressed their desire to keep operating autonomously until the deal closes, reports PC Gamer. If he chooses to remain as CEO beyond the deal's closing, he will have to report to Microsoft gaming head Phil Spencer.
Read Also: Xbox's Phil Spencer Is 'Deeply Disturbed' by What's Happening at Activision Blizzard
How Activision Blizzard Sees Kotick's Leadership
To put it mildly, Kotick is not a popular man in the company. He is also probably behind a few major delays that caused the release of big games like "Overwatch 2" to be pushed back.
A producer working on "Overwatch 2" recently outed the Activision Blizzard CEO for allegedly pushing random projects for the first "Overwatch" game then canceling them, which reportedly cost the team working on the sequel months of development work, as reported by GameInformer.
Here is the tweet from the producer:
Bobby, tell everyone about the random projects for OW1 you all would shove on us, the team would do OT for only them to get cancelled and for months of OW2 dev to have been lost. Or how almost entire teams are turning over and citing you as the reason. Don't be shy. https://t.co/3ksVMMaCwf
— Tracy Kennedy (@JustLavaliere) January 19, 2022
As per producer Tracy Kennedy's tweet, it looks like it's not just the "Overwatch 2" development team who's having a problem with Kotick's reported meddling. She didn't explicitly say what the teams are, but it is clear in her replies that they have absolutely no love for the embattled CEO.
The Deal Was Reportedly In The Works For A While
There are rumors saying that Activision, in the midst of the controversy they faced, actually sought a buyout as a way of saving face. They've reportedly put themselves on the market for a while, since at least November 2021.
There is no telling if the workplace situation at the company improves after the merger. But one thing is for certain: if and when Kotick steps down, the disgruntled employees are going to breathe a sigh of relief.
Related Article: Activision Blizzard Acquired By Microsoft for $68.7 Billion
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
