Activision Blizzard settles historic sexual harassment suit for $54 million, sets aside another $47 million for impacted employees

pcgamer.com:

First reported by the New York Times, a major chapter in Activision Blizzard's reckoning over an alleged internal culture of misogyny and harassment has ended. The California Civil Rights Department (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing) has settled with Activision Blizzard for $54 million, dropping its sexual harassment suit.

In addition to the $54 million paid to the state, Activision Blizzard has set aside $47 million to handle accusations of gender discrimination in pay and promotions. According to the settlement, Gilbert Casellas, a former chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, concluded «there was no widespread harassment or recurring pattern or practice of gender harassment» following an investigation into Activision Blizzard.

In July of 2021, the California Civil Rights Department filed its lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, alleging that the gaming giant had a «frat boy» culture and was a «breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women.» A 2021 Wall Street Journal report (users may encounter a paywall) alleged that longtime Activision CEO Bobby Kotick personally intervened in a sexual harassment investigation at the company, and even personally made a death threat to an assistant in 2006.

Former Blizzard Chief Compliance Officer Frances Townsend called the allegations «a distorted and untrue picture of [Activision Blizzard], including factually incorrect, old, and out of context stories⁠—some more than a decade ago.» Townsend would step down from this role in 2022, but the executive is also notable for having toured the United States' infamous Abu Ghraib torture prison in 2004 while working for the Bush White House. Townsend denied witnessing abuse of