Activision Blizzard execs never knowingly tolerated harassment, says Activision Blizzard

gamedeveloper.com:

Activision Blizzard has determined that Activision Blizzard execs never knowingly tolerated gender harassment or workplace misconduct.

The embattled Call of Duty publisher has been conducting a "thorough review" into its company culture with the assistance of external advisors, and claims its findings do not support the conclusion that senior leadership or board members were aware of and tolerated gender harassment or that there was "ever a systemic issue with harassment, discrimination, or retaliation."

Activision Blizzard has recently been subject to multiple governmental investigations after a deluge of allegations were made that indicated the company had allowed a "frat boy culture" to take hold, allegedly resulting in serious instances of workplace harassment and misconduct.

Multiple senior figures, including CEO Bobby Kotick, are also alleged to have been aware of the cultural rot eating away at the company.

According to a new SEC filing (spotted by PCGamesN), however, Activision Blizzard claims its own review into those allegations—which reportedly covered individual instances of harassment along with its policies and procedures for dealing with such cases—determined that there is "no evidence to suggest that Activision Blizzard senior executives ever intentionally ignored or attempted to download the instances of gender harassment that occurred and were reported."

"The review of contemporaneous documentation and statements by relevant individuals shows that media criticism of the Board and Activision Blizzard senior executives as insensitive to workplace matters is without merit," wrote the company.

"Activision Blizzard senior executives responded in a timely manner and with integrity and resolve to improve the