Since July 2021, Activision Blizzard has reportedly fired or pushed out more than three dozen employees and disciplined nearly 40 others as part of its efforts to address the company’s allegations of sexual harassment and unethical working conditions, according to the Wall Street Journal. The terminations follow nearly 700 reports of employee concern over misconduct within the company, as well as “regulatory probes” into Activision Blizzard’s workplace culture from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

Activision spokesperson Helaine Klasky confirmed the departures Monday, January 17, starting that, so far, “37 people have ‘exited’ and 44 have been disciplined as part of the company’s investigation.” Klasky also contested the figure that there have been 700 reports, claiming that “employee comments included statements on social media, and the issues raised ranged from what she described as benign workplace concerns to ‘a small number’ of potentially serious assertions, which the company has investigated.” According to the report, this was something Kotick intended to address prior to the holidays, however the CEO ultimately chose to withhold the information after determining it could “make the company’s workplace problems seem bigger than is already known.”

This news comes in the midst of Microsoft announcing its intentions to purchase Activision Blizzard for a staggering $68.7 billion. While questions of what this acquisition means for consumers and Microsoft’s competition have been circulating ever since, several larger questions still remain with perhaps even less clear answers–questions like what this will mean for Activision Blizzard’s ongoing workplace turmoil and CEO Bobby Kotick, and why Microsoft felt comfortable enough to buy the company in the midst of such unprecedented tension. According to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, the answer to that last question largely came down to the changes Activision has made thus far.

“We see the progress that they’re making that was pretty fundamental to us deciding to go forward here,” Spencer said.

In addition to the terminations, Activision Blizzard has also seen a shift in management and a dramatic pay cut for Kotick. However, one large point of contention remains: Kotick himself. Despite Microsoft formerly condemning Kotick’s handling of Activision Blizzard’s allegations, several claims that he actively covered up workplace harassment and threatened a female coworker, and roughly 10,000 Activision Blizzard employees signing a petition demanding his resignation, Microsoft has stated Kotick will remain in power throughout the acquisition. According to Activision:

“Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company’s culture and accelerate business growth.”

Ultimately, this decision doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. Considering the purchase involves regulatory approval, Microsoft can’t make any decisions about Kotick’s future yet. However, following the sale, it is anticipated that Kotick will step down from the company. Whether this actually comes to fruition is yet to be determined.

Regardless, Kotick’s departure from the company would reportedly come at great profit to the CEO and only scratch the surface of the demands made by several Activision Blizzard employees, many of whom are currently on strike following the sudden termination of 12 contracted Raven Software QA testers. Since the strike first began on December 7, 2021, Activision has remained silent regarding the worker’s demands for a more transparent workplace, all while taking taking actions characterized as union-busting by critics. Ultimately, what Microsoft’s purchase of the company means for current Activision Blizzard employees remains largely unclear.

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Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who founded the company 30+ years ago, has been its chief executive for decades, and recently has come under fire over workplace culture issues, is preparing to leave the company if and when Microsoft’s deal to acquire Activision Blizzard goes through. This is according to sources speaking to The Wall Street Journal.

The official word is that Kotick will stay on at Activision Blizzard as its CEO for the time being, but behind the scenes, management at Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have reportedly agreed that Kotick will leave when the deal is done.

Kotick is accused of, among other things, knowing about and covering up reports of sexual harassment. Kotick is also said to have threatened to kill an assistant.

Microsoft’s proposed buyout of Activision Blizzard needs to clear regulatory hurdles. Should that happen, the deal could close in FY2023 (July 2022-June 2023). The board of directors at Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have already approved the deal, but Activision Blizzard’s shareholders still need to give the go-ahead.

Kotick’s contract with Activision Blizzard seems to show that he would be paid more than $200 million upon exiting Activision Blizzard as part of a clause pertaining to “termination or change of control.” Workers at Activision Blizzard and across the gaming industry have called for Kotick to resign from his post in the wake of the sexual harassment and discrimination allegations against the company.

Xbox creator Seamus Blackley recently reacted to the Microsoft/Activision Blizzard news, saying he is “sickened” but also hopeful for the future.

If Microsoft’s bid for Activision Blizzard is approved, it would become far and away Microsoft’s biggest-ever acquisition, the next closest being LinkedIn ($26.2 billion). The news comes amid a busy time for big deals, as Take-Two just recently announced plans to buy Zynga for $12.7 billion.

Should the deal go through, Microsoft will take ownership of several massive franchises from Activision Blizzard, including Call of Duty, Warcraft, and Candy Crush, just to name a few.

For more on today’s big news, check out the stories below.

So, Is Call Of Duty Going Xbox-Exclusive?The Internet Reacts To Microsoft Buying Activision BlizzardActivision Blizzard Is Microsoft’s Biggest Acquisition Of All Time, Here’s How It Stacks UpWill Microsoft Now Own Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice?Xbox Creator “Sickened” By The Activision Buyout News, But Hopeful For Positive ChangeRead MoreGameSpot – Game News

In case you missed the news earlier today, Microsoft announced that it had bought a small company by the name of Activision Blizzard. The deal cost $68.7 billion, which is a reasonable price to pay to get development on Blur 2 off the ground.

Naturally, the sudden bombshell announcement that Microsoft had decided to buy a company that had become controversial over recent months for its mistreatment of employees, various scandals, and toxic workplace culture has dominated headlines.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will retain his position at the company, but he’ll be reporting to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer. “Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company’s culture and accelerate business growth,” Microsoft said in its announcement.

Phil’s got the Infinity Studios.

Everyone’s got something to say about the deal, but more importantly, everyone has a few memes to share as well. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones so far, in case you feel like having a quick chuckle at Microsoft flexing its financial muscles.

For more on the biggest deal in gaming, check out our post on the chances of Call of Duty becoming an Xbox exclusive and Microsoft reporting that Game Pass has reached 25 million subscribers.

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Following reports, Microsoft has now officially announced it has acquired Activision Blizzard in a deal said to be valued at nearly $70 billion.

“Over many decades, the studios and teams that make up Activision Blizzard have earned vast wellsprings of joy and respect from billions of people all over the world,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer said. “We are incredibly excited to have the chance to work with the amazing, talented, dedicated people across Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, Treyarch, and every team across Activision Blizzard.”

Until the deal closes, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will operate independently, Microsoft said. If and when it does, the Activision Blizzard team will report to Spencer as the CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

Spencer said Microsoft will add “as many Activision Blizzard games as we can” to Xbox Game Pass for PC and console, including new games and catalog titles.

Spencer went on to say that buying Activision Blizzard will help “accelerate our plans” for cloud gaming. “Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward,” he said.

Activision Blizzard has made headlines of late regarding its many controversies and lawsuits involving its corporate culture and leadership under CEO Bobby Kotick. Spencer said Microsoft is “committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming, among both employees and players.”

He added: “We deeply value individual studio cultures. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. We hold all teams, and all leaders, to this commitment. We’re looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard.”

In its own statement, Activision Blizzard confirmed that Microsoft will pay $95 per share to acquire Activision Blizzard, for a total payout of $68.7 billion if the deal goes through. In buying Activision Blizzard, Microsoft will also take ownership of massive franchises like Call of Duty, Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, as well as Activision Blizzard’s eSports endeavors. Activision Blizzard’s numerous studios and almost 10,000 employees will also become part of Xbox going forward, it would appear. Microsoft will have a total of 30 internal game development studios following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft just made the biggest gaming acquisition in history…by far

As part of the buyout, Microsoft shared an image of the “Gaming Leadership Team,” with Phil Spencer at the top as CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who has been in the middle of ongoing lawsuits regarding sexual harassment and discrimination, will remain CEO of Activision Blizzard. Whether or not Kotick is staying on at Activision Blizzard after the deal closes remains to be seen.

“Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and he and his team will maintain their focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company’s culture and accelerate business growth,” Activision said.

“Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said. “We’re investing deeply in world-class content, community and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive and accessible to all.”

Kotick said in a statement: “For more than 30 years our incredibly talented teams have created some of the most successful games,. The combination ofActivision Blizzard’sworld-class talent and extraordinary franchises withMicrosoft’s technology, distribution, access to talent, ambitious vision and shared commitment to gaming and inclusion will help ensure our continued success in an increasingly competitive industry.”

Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard is subject to the standard closing conditions and a regulatory review, as well as approval from Activision Blizzard’s shareholders. The deal has already been approved by the boards of directors at Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. If all goes to plan, the deal is expected to close in fiscal year 2023.

The Gaming Leadership Team at Xbox

Xbox Statement On Activision Buyout

“As a team, we are on a mission to extend the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. We all know that gaming is the most vibrant and dynamic form of entertainment worldwide and we’ve experienced the power of social connection and friendship that gaming makes possible.

As we pursue that mission, it is incredibly exciting to announce that Microsoft has agreed to acquire Activision Blizzard.

Over many decades, the studios and teams that make up Activision Blizzard have earned vast wellsprings of joy and respect from billions of people all over the world. We are incredibly excited to have the chance to work with the amazing, talented, dedicated people across Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, Treyarch and every team across Activision Blizzard.

Until this transaction closes, Activision Blizzard and Microsoft Gaming will continue to operate independently. Once the deal is complete, the Activision Blizzard business will report to me as CEO, Microsoft Gaming.

Upon close, we will offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog. We also announced today that Game Pass now has more than 25 million subscribers. As always, we look forward to continuing to add more value and more great games to Game Pass.

The fantastic franchises across Activision Blizzard will also accelerate our plans for Cloud Gaming, allowing more people in more places around the world to participate in the Xbox community using phones, tablets, laptops and other devices you already own. Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward.

As a company, Microsoft is committed to our journey for inclusion in every aspect of gaming, among both employees and players. We deeply value individual studio cultures. We also believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating every person with dignity and respect. We hold all teams, and all leaders, to this commitment. We’re looking forward to extending our culture of proactive inclusion to the great teams across Activision Blizzard.

Around the world, there is no more exciting venue for fun and connection than video games. And there has never been a better time to play than right now. As we extend the joy and community of gaming to everyone, we look forward to welcoming all of our friends at Activision Blizzard to Microsoft Gaming.”

Developing…

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