Activision Blizzard sued over mass sexual assault allegations

Activision Blizzard, one of the largest video game developers in the world, is facing multiple lawsuits from federal and state agencies, as well as former employees and shareholders, over allegations of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and unequal pay at its workplace. The lawsuits have revealed a toxic and hostile culture at Activision Blizzard that has harmed many women who worked there. They have also sparked a wave of protests and demands for change in the gaming industry, which has long been plagued by sexism and harassment. In this article, we will explore what are the main allegations against Activision Blizzard, how the company has responded to them, and what are the implications of the lawsuits for Activision Blizzard and the gaming industry.

Activision Blizzard is an American video game company that was formed in 2008 by the merger of Activision and Blizzard Entertainment. The company is known for producing some of the most popular and successful video games in history, such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and Candy Crush. The company has over 9,000 employees worldwide and reported revenues of $8.09 billion in 2020. The company is led by CEO Bobby Kotick, who has been in charge since 1991.

Activision Blizzard is currently facing several lawsuits from different parties over its alleged mistreatment of women in its workplace. The lawsuits claim that Activision Blizzard violated various laws and regulations on equal pay, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and securities fraud. The lawsuits also seek damages and remedies for the victims and the shareholders of the company.

The lawsuits paint a grim picture of the working environment at Activision Blizzard, where women were allegedly subjected to pervasive and severe harassment, discrimination, and abuse by their male colleagues and managers. The lawsuits also allege that Activision Blizzard failed to prevent, address, or remedy the problems, and instead retaliated against those who spoke up or complained. The lawsuits further allege that women were paid less, promoted less, and given fewer opportunities than men at Activision Blizzard.

The DFEH is a state agency that enforces civil rights laws in California. In July 2021, the DFEH filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard in the Los Angeles Superior Court, after a two-year investigation into the company’s practices. The lawsuit alleged that Activision Blizzard violated the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), which prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical condition. The lawsuit also alleged that Activision Blizzard violated the California Equal Pay Act (EPA), which requires employers to pay employees of the same sex equally for substantially similar work.

The lawsuit described Activision Blizzard’s workplace culture as a “breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women”. The lawsuit claimed that women were constantly subjected to unwanted sexual comments, advances, touching, groping, and jokes by their male co-workers and supervisors. The lawsuit also claimed that women were often humiliated or demeaned by being called derogatory names or being asked to perform sexual acts or favors. The lawsuit also claimed that women were exposed to sexualized or violent content in the workplace, such as nude pictures of female employees or rape jokes.

One of the most shocking examples cited by the lawsuit was a “cube crawl”, where male employees would drink alcohol and crawl through the cubicles of female employees while making lewd comments or gestures. Another example was the suicide of a female employee during a business trip with her male supervisor, who had allegedly sexually harassed her and brought sex toys and lubricant with him. The lawsuit also claimed that the company knew about the harassment and failed to take any action.

The lawsuit alleged that Activision Blizzard had a “lack of effective remedial measures” to prevent or correct the harassment and discrimination. The lawsuit claimed that the company’s human resources department was “unresponsive” or “dismissive” of the complaints, or even blamed the victims for their own harassment. The lawsuit also claimed that the company retaliated against those who complained or participated in the investigation, by firing them, demoting them, denying them promotions, or subjecting them to further harassment.

The EEOC is a federal agency that enforces federal laws on employment discrimination. In September 2021, the EEOC filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, after a three-year investigation into the company’s practices. The lawsuit alleged that Activision Blizzard violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin, or religion. The lawsuit also alleged that Activision Blizzard violated Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits discrimination based on disability.

The lawsuit claimed that Activision Blizzard discriminated against women in pay and promotions, by paying them less than men for equal or similar work, and by denying them career opportunities or advancement. The lawsuit also claimed that Activision Blizzard subjected women to severe and pervasive sexual harassment, by creating a hostile work environment where women were routinely harassed, propositioned, touched, or assaulted by their male co-workers and supervisors. The lawsuit also claimed that Activision Blizzard discriminated against pregnant women, by firing them, forcing them to take unpaid leave, or reducing their hours or responsibilities.

In March 2022, the EEOC announced that it had reached a settlement with Activision Blizzard, which required the company to pay $18 million to a fund for the victims of discrimination and harassment. The settlement also required the company to implement various changes to its policies and practices, such as hiring an independent monitor, providing anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, conducting pay equity analyses, and reporting any complaints or incidents to the EEOC. The settlement was approved by a federal judge in April 2022.