The Activision Blizzard lawsuit in California is already prompting an investigation by the company’s shareholders.
Gamesindustry reports that it’s not just the government of California and the dissatisfaction of its employees are the sole issues Activision Blizzard has to face: Robbins LLP, a law firm that happens to be a shareholder in the company, has launched an investigation. They are looking to see if the company violated the securities exchange act and “breached their fiduciary duties to the company” via their mismanagement. Activision Blizzard‘s stock prices have dropped about 7% ever since the lawsuit broke into the public.
The company, known for Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch or Call of Duty, has one more publication giving it flak, and for a good reason. Activision Blizzard is now in the mainstream media, thanks to the New York Times, one of the most prominent newspapers of the United States. While their article is mostly a recap of the events so far (we have done our part, too), there are also new details that we can look into.
The New York Times includes anecdotes from former Activision Blizzard employees. In one case, a female employee said that she was passed over for opportunities after declining to take drugs with her manager. She was later pressed on what kind of pornography she likes by (possibly, as it’s not confirmed…) another manager. And another woman reported being pressured to have sex with an executive… which alone is disgusting, but just weeks after her boyfriend’s death, it’s abhorrent. They also reported discrimination when it came to pay and/or promotions.
This is a big blow for Activision Blizzard. They won’t get far with words. Actions have to be taken, and this also applies to Ubisoft (whose employees have spoken up against their leadership…).
Source: WCCFTech
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