in the middle of last year ActivisionBlizzard was sued by the state of California in the USA for promoting a workplace culture of discrimination and harassment, with a great response from employees, ex-employees and other members of the industry who said it was time for a change. With the news that Microsoft has reached an agreement to acquire Activision Blizzard, it seems that this long-awaited change will also come, since Xbox wants to implement its inclusive work culture.
In November of last year it was revealed that the CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, knew of the cases of sexual abuse and discrimination but he had decided to cover up the abusers instead of holding them accountable for their actions. At the time Phil Spencer said that Microsoft was evaluating its relationship with Activision Blizzard, but we never thought that meant that they were thinking of acquiring the company.
Related: Xbox: The Activision Blizzard IPs that Microsoft acquires with your purchase.
In the official statement released by Microsoft today, welcoming Activision Blizzard to Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer clarifies that Microsoft is committed to its quest to implement inclusion in every aspect of gaming, both among players and among developers. “We believe that creative success and autonomy go hand-in-hand with treating each person with dignity and respect.Spencer said.
Phil Spencer clarifies that these standards apply to every team and leader in the company; they will expand their proactive inclusion culture to the Activision Blizzard teams, so Microsoft has a good chance to show that it truly means to improve the video game industry, despite the fact that Bobby Kotick is said to be staying on for the time being.
Read more: Xbox: The Activision Blizzard studios that Microsoft acquires with its purchase.
Just as Phil Spencer said he was evaluating his relationship with Activision Blizzard, Doug Bowser said that Nintendo of America had taken internal measures with the company, because just like Microsoft, Nintendo was committed to Foster an open and inclusive work environment where everyone is welcome. Without a doubt, this is a good step for the industry, so we really hope that Microsoft does something about it with Activision Blizzard, because the work culture is a big stain on this company that has given us incredible games.