Support NeoGAF

[IbizaPocholo]

Over 1,000 Activision Blizzard employees petition to remove CEO Bobby Kotick

This is the latest in worker-led protests at Activision Blizzard.

www.theverge.com

Over 1,000 employees and contractors at Activision Blizzard have now signed and published a petition to remove CEO Bobby Kotick from the company, doubling the number of signatures since the petition was made public.

“We, the undersigned, no longer have confidence in the leadership of Bobby Kotick as the CEO of Activision Blizzard. The information that has come to light about his behaviors and practices in the running of our companies runs counter to the culture and integrity we require of our leadership—and directly conflicts with the initiatives started by our peers. We ask that Bobby Kotick remove himself as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and that shareholders be allowed to select the new CEO without the input of Bobby, who we are aware owns a substantial portion of the voting rights of the shareholders.”

In a surprising move, the petition goes on to list the names, titles, and departments of the workers, which could potentially expose the signatories to retaliation.

This petition is the latest development in a series of worker-led actions against the company, which now includes two walkouts and the formation of an employee advocacy group, A Better ABK. Since we first published this story, A Better ABK has shared a link to a second petition to remove Kotick that it is asking supporters to sign. As of this writing, it has more than 2,600 signatures.

 

[Halo is Back]

Petitions are worthless

 

[Punished Miku]

Petitions are worthless

This is people putting their real names and job titles down lol. It takes balls at the very least to not care if 1000 of your employees are publicly calling you a piece of shit.

 

[Halo is Back]

This is people putting their real names and job titles down lol. It takes balls at the very least to not care if 1000 of your employees are publicly calling you a piece of shit.

Maybe, but I've never known a petition to mean anything to anyone within power.

 

[Punished Miku]

Maybe, but I've never known a petition to mean anything to anyone within power.

The game now is just journalists making Kotick stay in the headlines. Each day saps maybe 5% of his dark power. Its like the Cuomo slo mo death. If it just lingers on for weeks he eventually resigns. Its just a PR war now.

 

[Kilau]

Pretty cringe move since they all live in glass houses with skeleton stuffed closets, just a matter of time until all 1,000 of them are accused next, better hope they have a clean slate.

 

[Halo is Back]

The game now is just journalists making Kotick stay in the headlines. Each day saps maybe 5% of his dark power. Its like the Cuomo slo mo death. If it just lingers on for weeks he eventually resigns. Its just a PR war now.

Even so, the dude is set for life in terms of wealth. The worst that comes to him is his name being tarnished and dragged through the mud but I doubt a soulless man like him really cares about that.

 

[Chiggs]

It's incredibly ballsy, since companies monitor social media and take note of who is saying what, and actually create employee/customer sentiment reports that are delivered to executive leadership on a weekly basis.

 

[nush]

1300 signatures, all public. If you want to get doxxed, that's how you get doxxed.

 

[BigBooper]

Can't lose in the woke Olympics.

Spoiler: Or

not.

 

[jhjfss]

bobby now

 

[Fare thee well]

If i was his employee, i would just quit. I've always left shitty companies the minute I smell a turd. It has never steered me into poverty or an ounce of regret.

 

[BacklashWave534]

Pretty cringe move since they all live in glass houses with skeleton stuffed closets, just a matter of time until all 1,000 of them are accused next, better hope they have a clean slate.

Never liked the guy but I have to agree with you. I have worked in large industries for years and I have never known a single CEO to know or care to know what happens at the bottom floor. Also, has anyone actually provided evidence or is this just another social media witch hunt with the typical "he said" "she said" bullshit? Serious question, really haven't been following this to closely. I'm all for accountability if there is facts and evidence available to back the claims.

 

[MrFunSocks]

Over 1000 employees better start looking for new jobs.

Never liked the guy but I have to agree with you. Also, has anyone actually provided evidence or is this just another social media witch hunt with the typical "he said" "she said" bullshit? Serious question, really haven't been following this to closely.

As far as I've seen it's all just allegations of him dismissing allegations and so on.

 

[nush]

Around 800 signatures are Blizzard employees, I guess that's where the rot really is.

Around 300 work in QA, not a lot to risk with a job like that.

I just hope that nobody on the list was creepy to a colleague at a work, made a bad pass or even a vindictive ex-partner comes out of the woodwork.

 

[BacklashWave534]

Over 1000 employees better start looking for new jobs.



As far as I've seen it's all just allegations of him dismissing allegations and so on.

Not surprising at all. I bet everyone will feel like true warriors when he steps down, takes his ridiculous contract buyout and swims in a pool of money is his 12 mansions lol. Unfortunately whether the allegations are true or not he wins either way.

 

[bentanchorbolt]

Pretty cringe move since they all live in glass houses with skeleton stuffed closets, just a matter of time until all 1,000 of them are accused next, better hope they have a clean slate.

Guess nobody should do anything ever if they made a mistake right?

 

[nush]

Guess nobody should do anything ever if they made a mistake right?

I do agree with you however context doesn't matter to a mob.

 

[Topher]

That's a lot of pitchforks

 

[93xfan]

Petitions are worthless

That’s why I gave a “like” to the thread, to get things rolling.

 

[Halo is Back]

That’s why I gave a “like” to the thread, to get things rolling.

Ok?

 

[Ozzie666]

Pressure from the Top and Bottom. He should do the only honorable thing. Die on his sword, retire and donate his salary to some relevant charity.

 

[Sinthor]

This is people putting their real names and job titles down lol. It takes balls at the very least to not care if 1000 of your employees are publicly calling you a piece of shit.

It's roughly 10% of the employees. First it depends what the conduct in question is. But the shareholders have more of a shot at getting anything done...assuming there's enough of those to matter.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

So, if the issue the employees are having with the guy is he didn't report questionable actions of his employees to the higher ups, then what are they all hoping for? To get laid off? Seems like a "push my buddy down while I run from the serial killer," move.

 

[Sinthor]

So, if the issue the employees are having with the guy is he didn't report questionable actions of his employees to the higher ups, then what are they all hoping for? To get laid off? Seems like a "push my buddy down while I run from the serial killer," move.

Seems like just more BS outrage to me. At least I haven't seen anything really egregious or concrete in the allegations. Read at another site that they guy apparently had made some statements about 'woke' employees..that kind of thing. So I think a minority of employees are as a result trying to see if they can get him fired. We'll see.

 

[Thanati]

1300 signatures, all public. If you want to get doxxed, that's how you get doxxed.

Thankfully California law means if you get fired because you signed the petition, you can sue them for retaliation. Companies can easily get screwed as a result of this, which is great!

 

[TransTrender]

 

[Sosokrates]

So its not just a meme anymore?

 

[jhjfss]

So its not just a meme anymore?

Darth Kotick

 

[Max_Po]

Yep, he is finished...

 

[Felessan]

I doubt that he will step down himself
And board said it's word
By the time of general shareholder meeting this story will be long gone. Not that I think that there will be any changes even at meeting, guys who hold major stakes doesn't really care about this stuff, they care about money.

 

[Dr Bass]

Maybe, but I've never known a petition to mean anything to anyone within power.

A good percentage of your employee base basically saying they have no confidence in your leadership isn't exactly good for business.

 

[93xfan]

Ok?

Petitions by themselves may be “worthless”, but combine it with some likes on neogaf and who knows what can happen

 

[saintjules]

 

[Topher]

Kotick needs to just retire. No point in hanging around at this point. He is done.

 

[HoofHearted]

 

[CuteFaceJay]

Kotick needs to just retire. No point in hanging around at this point. He is done.

Almost like the man is addicted to money and doesn't want to quit and enjoy his bank account while he still can.

 

[ClosBSAS]

Petitions are worthless

Tell that to pc gamers and their dark souls petition that got them not only the game, the entire series.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Everything around this company.

 

[TheGodfather07]

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

Almost like the man is addicted to money and doesn't want to quit and enjoy his bank account while he still can.

Addicted to power*

fixed it. He has enough money for multiple life times. His position of power he cant get back when he leaves.