Activision Blizzard, iron fist from the press for harassment allegations
Activision Blizzard
The Activision Blizzard case does not subside. After the accusations of sexual harassment, endorsed by a process that will probably start in a few months and supported by complaints from former developers and after the answers of the managers of the company, decidedly discordant with each other and which would show an unclear line on the management of the whole matter, now the international press has begun to use an iron fist. In fact, in the last few hours more and more US and non-US newspapers, more or less large, have decided to proceed with a rather important boycott.As reported online, in fact, several editors in chief decided to take a strong position on the matter, also considering that the behaviors mentioned in the accusations would have prompted an employee to commit suicide. The reaction is therefore very hard: several portals have in fact decided that they will no longer cover Activision Blizzard games in terms of news, previews, reviews and specials. This obviously also includes the next major releases for PlayStation, Xbox and PC, such as the remastering of Diablo 2 and the next chapter of Overwatch. "We will continue to cover the news about the entire process, but we will not cover the games," the words of Kirck McKeand, founder and editor in chief of The Gamer.
Even Game Xplain, a popular media outlet that has an information activity mainly on YouTube, said that Activision Blizzard games will no longer be covered "at least until the end of the year and perhaps until a date to be agreed" . Soon after, other titles began to join, such as Switch Player, Ninty Fresh, [lock-on] and Cinelinx. However, no news from the front of the real big names, such as IGN, GameSpot, Windows Central and other important portals but it is not excluded that in the next few hours other newspapers will not decide to take sides against and follow this form of protest.
We're going to stop covering Activision and Blizzard games until there's some real change and this gaslighting bollocks ends. We’ll cover the ongoing news regarding the current story, but we won’t be covering the games. https://t.co/714h9qwBz7
- Kirk McKeand (@MckKirk) July 23, 2021
Surely the case is very thorny but unlike other events similar, such as those of Ubisoft or the Me Too movements, the accusations against Activision Blizzard have a completely different weight, also given the other controversies related to the repression of the Hong Kong protests. The publisher and developer will have to face a lawsuit but the mental problem for employees who have suffered physical and verbal humiliation risks not being stopped anyway. And this is the message that foreign colleagues are passing on: even if the entire management is found guilty, it is not certain that criminal behavior will be completely eradicated and the protest is focused precisely on putting an end to all this. A kind of "warning" for any other development team, publisher or reality in the video game industry to be caught in the act.
Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War is one of Activision Blizzard's most gaming titles and you can find it on Amazon.
Activision Blizzard execs respond to harassment and discrimination lawsuit
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard this week over alleged sexual harassment and discrimination against women. In a memo to staff obtained by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack wrote that 'the allegations and the hurt of current and former employees are extremely troubling.'
Brack wrote that everyone should feel safe at Blizzard and that 'it is completely unacceptable for anyone in the company to face discrimination or harassment.' He noted it requires courage for people to come forward with their stories, and that all claims brought to the company are taken seriously and investigated.
'People with different backgrounds, views, and experiences are essential for Blizzard, our teams, and our player community,' Brack wrote. 'I disdain 'bro culture,' and have spent my career fighting against it.'
In the suit, the DFEH made a string of accusations against former World of Warcraft senior creative director Alex Afrasiabi. The agency alleged that Afrasiabi was 'permitted to engage in blatant sexual harassment with little to no repercussions' and suggested that the activity was an open secret.
Brack is said to be among those who were aware of Afrasiabi's purported actions. The DFEH claimed Brack 'allegedly had multiple conversations with Afrasiabi about his drinking and that he had been 'too friendly' towards female employees at company events but gave Afrasiabi a slap on the wrist (i.e. verbal counseling) in response to those incidents.' After those supposed talks, Afrasiabi 'continued to make unwanted advances towards female employees,' including groping one of them, according to the suit.
The DFEH claimed a Blizzard employee informed Brack in early 2019 that people were leaving the company because of sexual harassment and sexism. The employee allegedly said that women on the Battle.net team were 'subjected to disparaging comments,' that 'the environment was akin to working in a frat house' and that women who weren't 'huge gamers' or 'into the party scene' were 'excluded and treated as outsiders.'
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Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. It claimed the suit 'includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard's past.' The company also accused the DFEH, which investigated Activision Blizzard for two years, of 'disgraceful and unprofessional' conduct and claimed the agency didn't engage in a “good faith effort” to resolve complaints before resorting to legal action.
'A recently filed lawsuit presented a distorted and untrue picture of our company, including factually incorrect, old and out of context stories — some from more than a decade ago,' Fran Townsend, executive vice president for corporate affairs at the publisher, wrote in a memo to employees. Some Blizzard employees are 'fuming' over the note, according to Schreier.
Townsend, a former Homeland Security advisor to President George W. Bush who joined Activision Blizzard this year, said 'the Activision companies of today, the Activision companies that I know, are great companies with good values.' Townsend also claimed Activision Blizzard 'takes a hardline approach to inappropriate or hostile work environments and sexual harassment issues' and that the company has 'put tremendous effort into creating fair compensation policies that reflect our commitment to equal opportunity.'
