Activision Blizzard denies report that CEO Bobby Kotick blocked release of internal discipline report

pcgamer.com:

A new Wall Street Journal report says Activision Blizzard has fire or pushed out 37 employees since July 2021 as part of the company's investigation into complaints of sexual harassment and other workplace misconduct, while 44 more have faced other forms of discipline. The report also shows that the company has collected roughly 700 reports of possible workplace misconduct—some of them separate reports about the same incidents—over the same period.

Sources also told the site that a summary of those actions was set to be released ahead of the holiday break, but was held back by CEO Bobby Kotick over concerns that they could make the company's problems seem even more serious than was already known.

An Activision Blizzard representative confirmed with WSJ that 37 employees have «exited» the company as a result of its investigations into complaints, and that 44 others have been disciplined. The rep disputed the report of 700 complaints, however, saying that comments from employees included statements made on social media and covered a range of concerns, only «a small number» of which were potentially serious allegations. The rep also said that «the assertion regarding Mr. Kotick is untrue,» and that «our focus is making sure we have accurate data and analysis to share.»

In an email sent to PC Gamer, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said the company is «working tirelessly so that every employee feels safe, equal, heard and empowered.»

«Whether a comment about culture, an incident or suggested improvements, every single report that the company receives matters, and we have significantly increased the resources available to ensure that we can quickly and thoroughly look into each one,» the representative said. “Through our