BRO CULTURE
Report: Activision Took Years To Fire Someone Who Signed Emails '1-800-ALLCOCK'
Ethan Gach
Fri, November 19, 2021
A California lawsuit earlier this year alleged sexual harassment, discrimination, and a pervasive “frat boy culture” at Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard. At least in one instance, that culture included an employee signing all of his work emails as “1-800-ALLCOCK.”
That detail comes from the latest episode of The Wall Street Journal podcast which elaborates on some of its recent bombshell investigative report outlining new instances of misconduct and coverups, including by CEO Bobby Kotick.
“There was one example where an Activision employee had for years just signed his email signature 1-800-ALLCOCK,” reporter Kirsten Grind said in a transcript of the podcast. “So if you were a woman, you would get that email and that was just the normal course, right? Just guys being guys joking about it and you just sort of felt like that was what happened at Activision.”
Activision reportedly didn’t take action regarding the email signature until it received a complaint about it just this past summer, at which point it fired the employee after a month-long investigation. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The podcast episode also interviewed a former employee about her time at Sledgehammer Games, maker of the recently released Call of Duty: Vanguard. Ashley Mark, hired as a quality assurance analyst in 2016 during the production of Call of Duty: WWII, described the male-dominated workplace like this:
You’ve got people who want to...Basically are very nerdy, want to make a good game, and then you’ve got the gun-loving group because it’s Call of Duty so you’re going to attract people who love guns, and then you have got people who are really into fitness. There’s a lot of people who are into fitness at least at that time at Sledgehammer Games. So there were people who would go into groups and that you would go to the gym and they would just get pumped up. So it’s very masculine.
Mark recalled a 2017 studio anniversary party where one former Sledgehammer manager “put his arm around my female coworker almost like a choke hold” while hugging her and repeatedly saying her name. That former manager told The Wall Street Journal he didn’t remember the details of the evening in question because he was too drunk, but confirmed he was put on a two-week paid suspension before being moved to a different role.
Sledgehammer Games was also where one former female employee was reportedly raped twice, incidents that were not investigated until she sent a letter from her lawyer after she had already left the company. According to the new podcast episode, when she originally to her complaint to studio HR, a representative for the department tried to get her to down play what had happened and reframe it in a more positive light.
Until recently, most of the attention has been on allegations about past misconduct and discrimination at Blizzard. But these latest reports reinforce parts of the original California lawsuit which cited booze-filled offices and work events, and negligent HR departments, as recipes for mistreatment across the entire Activision Blizzard business.
This week, the heads of both PlayStation and Xbox spoke out about the latest revelations. Girls Who Code cut ties with the company. And some shareholders joined over 2,000 current Activision Blizzard employees in calling for Kotick to resign.
“It’s pretty clear that the only forces that can create change at Activision are its customers (whose money is the ultimate corporate goal), its investors and the employees whose talent makes Activision’s games worth buying,” Paul Reiche, former head of Activision Blizzard’s Skylanders studio, told Axios today. “If the new stories I have read are true, I can’t see how Activision can continue its success without new leadership”
Ethan Gach
Fri, November 19, 2021
A California lawsuit earlier this year alleged sexual harassment, discrimination, and a pervasive “frat boy culture” at Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard. At least in one instance, that culture included an employee signing all of his work emails as “1-800-ALLCOCK.”
That detail comes from the latest episode of The Wall Street Journal podcast which elaborates on some of its recent bombshell investigative report outlining new instances of misconduct and coverups, including by CEO Bobby Kotick.
“There was one example where an Activision employee had for years just signed his email signature 1-800-ALLCOCK,” reporter Kirsten Grind said in a transcript of the podcast. “So if you were a woman, you would get that email and that was just the normal course, right? Just guys being guys joking about it and you just sort of felt like that was what happened at Activision.”
Activision reportedly didn’t take action regarding the email signature until it received a complaint about it just this past summer, at which point it fired the employee after a month-long investigation. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The podcast episode also interviewed a former employee about her time at Sledgehammer Games, maker of the recently released Call of Duty: Vanguard. Ashley Mark, hired as a quality assurance analyst in 2016 during the production of Call of Duty: WWII, described the male-dominated workplace like this:
You’ve got people who want to...Basically are very nerdy, want to make a good game, and then you’ve got the gun-loving group because it’s Call of Duty so you’re going to attract people who love guns, and then you have got people who are really into fitness. There’s a lot of people who are into fitness at least at that time at Sledgehammer Games. So there were people who would go into groups and that you would go to the gym and they would just get pumped up. So it’s very masculine.
Mark recalled a 2017 studio anniversary party where one former Sledgehammer manager “put his arm around my female coworker almost like a choke hold” while hugging her and repeatedly saying her name. That former manager told The Wall Street Journal he didn’t remember the details of the evening in question because he was too drunk, but confirmed he was put on a two-week paid suspension before being moved to a different role.
Sledgehammer Games was also where one former female employee was reportedly raped twice, incidents that were not investigated until she sent a letter from her lawyer after she had already left the company. According to the new podcast episode, when she originally to her complaint to studio HR, a representative for the department tried to get her to down play what had happened and reframe it in a more positive light.
Until recently, most of the attention has been on allegations about past misconduct and discrimination at Blizzard. But these latest reports reinforce parts of the original California lawsuit which cited booze-filled offices and work events, and negligent HR departments, as recipes for mistreatment across the entire Activision Blizzard business.
This week, the heads of both PlayStation and Xbox spoke out about the latest revelations. Girls Who Code cut ties with the company. And some shareholders joined over 2,000 current Activision Blizzard employees in calling for Kotick to resign.
“It’s pretty clear that the only forces that can create change at Activision are its customers (whose money is the ultimate corporate goal), its investors and the employees whose talent makes Activision’s games worth buying,” Paul Reiche, former head of Activision Blizzard’s Skylanders studio, told Axios today. “If the new stories I have read are true, I can’t see how Activision can continue its success without new leadership”
Microsoft reportedly evaluating relationship with Activision amid CEO turmoil
Brett Molina, USA TODAY
Thu, November 18, 2021,
Activision Blizzard says it hired a law firm to help ensure a "respectful and inclusive" workplace.
Microsoft is reportedly evaluating its relationship with video game publisher Activision Blizzard following allegations CEO Bobby Kotick knew for years about sexual misconduct claims at the company.
Xbox head Phil Spencer sent an email to staff, according to Bloomberg, saying he is "evaluating all aspects of our relationship" with Activision Blizzard following a report from The Wall Street Journal claiming Kotick didn't inform the board of allegations of sexual misconduct at the publisher.
In a statement emailed to USA TODAY in response to the report, Spencer said he personally has strong values for a welcoming and inclusive environment for Xbox employees.
"This is not a destination but a journey that we will always be on," said Spencer. "The leadership at Xbox and Microsoft stand by our teams and support them in building a safer environment for all."
Activision told USA TODAY in an emailed statement it respects feedback from its partners and is engaging with them further.
Employees at Activision Blizzard staged a second walkout demanding Kotick be removed as CEO, NBC News reported. A Twitter account representing employees of the company shared a petition seeking Kotick's removal that has more than 1,000 signatures.
In a statement released Tuesday after the Journal report, Activision's board showed support for Kotick. "The Board remains confident that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention," it said.
Earlier this year, the state of California sued Activision Blizzard claiming the publisher fostered a sexist culture and paid women less than men despite doing more work.
The lawsuit prompted employees' initial walkout urging changes within the company's culture.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Activision Blizzard: Microsoft reportedly evaluating relationship
Brett Molina, USA TODAY
Thu, November 18, 2021,
Activision Blizzard says it hired a law firm to help ensure a "respectful and inclusive" workplace.
Microsoft is reportedly evaluating its relationship with video game publisher Activision Blizzard following allegations CEO Bobby Kotick knew for years about sexual misconduct claims at the company.
Xbox head Phil Spencer sent an email to staff, according to Bloomberg, saying he is "evaluating all aspects of our relationship" with Activision Blizzard following a report from The Wall Street Journal claiming Kotick didn't inform the board of allegations of sexual misconduct at the publisher.
In a statement emailed to USA TODAY in response to the report, Spencer said he personally has strong values for a welcoming and inclusive environment for Xbox employees.
"This is not a destination but a journey that we will always be on," said Spencer. "The leadership at Xbox and Microsoft stand by our teams and support them in building a safer environment for all."
Activision told USA TODAY in an emailed statement it respects feedback from its partners and is engaging with them further.
Employees at Activision Blizzard staged a second walkout demanding Kotick be removed as CEO, NBC News reported. A Twitter account representing employees of the company shared a petition seeking Kotick's removal that has more than 1,000 signatures.
In a statement released Tuesday after the Journal report, Activision's board showed support for Kotick. "The Board remains confident that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention," it said.
Earlier this year, the state of California sued Activision Blizzard claiming the publisher fostered a sexist culture and paid women less than men despite doing more work.
The lawsuit prompted employees' initial walkout urging changes within the company's culture.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Activision Blizzard: Microsoft reportedly evaluating relationship
Xbox is re-evaluating its relationship with Activision Blizzard
Kris Holt
·Contributing Writer
Thu, November 18, 2021
Phil Spencer is reportedly reassessing Xbox's relationship with Activision Blizzard following new bombshell reports about the company and CEO Bobby Kotick. Spencer, who runs Microsoft's Xbox division, reportedly told employees in an email that he's “evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments,” in the wake of an investigation by The Wall Street Journal.
In the memo, which was obtained by Bloomberg, Spencer said he and other leaders at Xbox are “disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions” that reportedly took place at Activision Blizzard. "This type of behavior has no place in our industry,” Spencer wrote.
Kotick is said to have known about instances of sexual misconduct at the company for years without reporting them to the board. He has also been accused of mistreating women on numerous occasions.
Spencer has joined Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan in expressing deep concern about the situation. In an internal memo, which also leaked earlier this week, Ryan wrote that he was "disheartened and frankly stunned to read” The Journal's report. He also criticized Activision's response to the allegations. Earlier this week, the company told Engadget that the report presented a “misleading view of Activision Blizzard and our CEO.”
More than 900 Activision Blizzard employees and contractors have now signed a petition demanding Kotick's removal. A shareholder group has also urged the board to remove Kotick and for the board's two longest-serving directors to retire by the end of the year. In addition, Polygon and Eurogamer both called for Kotick's resignation. Strongly worded statements from leaders at Microsoft and Sony, two of Activision Blizzard's most important business partners, will further crank up the pressure.
"We respect all feedback from our valued partners and are engaging with them further," an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told Engadget. "We have detailed important changes we have implemented in recent weeks, and we will continue to do so. We are committed to the work of ensuring our culture and workplace are safe, diverse, and inclusive. We know it will take time, but we will not stop until we have the best workplace for our team."
Kris Holt
·Contributing Writer
Thu, November 18, 2021
Phil Spencer is reportedly reassessing Xbox's relationship with Activision Blizzard following new bombshell reports about the company and CEO Bobby Kotick. Spencer, who runs Microsoft's Xbox division, reportedly told employees in an email that he's “evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments,” in the wake of an investigation by The Wall Street Journal.
In the memo, which was obtained by Bloomberg, Spencer said he and other leaders at Xbox are “disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions” that reportedly took place at Activision Blizzard. "This type of behavior has no place in our industry,” Spencer wrote.
Kotick is said to have known about instances of sexual misconduct at the company for years without reporting them to the board. He has also been accused of mistreating women on numerous occasions.
Spencer has joined Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan in expressing deep concern about the situation. In an internal memo, which also leaked earlier this week, Ryan wrote that he was "disheartened and frankly stunned to read” The Journal's report. He also criticized Activision's response to the allegations. Earlier this week, the company told Engadget that the report presented a “misleading view of Activision Blizzard and our CEO.”
More than 900 Activision Blizzard employees and contractors have now signed a petition demanding Kotick's removal. A shareholder group has also urged the board to remove Kotick and for the board's two longest-serving directors to retire by the end of the year. In addition, Polygon and Eurogamer both called for Kotick's resignation. Strongly worded statements from leaders at Microsoft and Sony, two of Activision Blizzard's most important business partners, will further crank up the pressure.
"We respect all feedback from our valued partners and are engaging with them further," an Activision Blizzard spokesperson told Engadget. "We have detailed important changes we have implemented in recent weeks, and we will continue to do so. We are committed to the work of ensuring our culture and workplace are safe, diverse, and inclusive. We know it will take time, but we will not stop until we have the best workplace for our team."
Activision Faces Internal Rifts in Bid to Blunt Uproar Over CEO
Jason Schreier
Wed, November 17, 2021
(Bloomberg) -- Some employees at Activision Blizzard Inc. said they were let down by internal meetings that were held Wednesday morning to discuss the new revelations about the company and Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick.
The gatherings took place on video calls across the game publisher’s three primary organizations, Activision, Blizzard and King. Executives in charge of each division took questions and shared similar talking points after the Wall Street Journal reported detailed allegations that Kotick was aware of sexual misconduct at the company years before a California lawsuit made them public this summer and failed to report alleged instances of rape to the board.
Hours after the article was published on Tuesday, more than a hundred employees staged a walkout to demand Kotick’s resignation. The board said it’s standing by Kotick, but partners and shareholders have raised questions about his handling of the crisis. Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation chief Jim Ryan criticized Activision’s response in an email to staff Wednesday, Bloomberg reported. When asked for comment, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, which owns more than a million shares in Activision, said in a statement that it recognizes that sexual harassment and misconduct incidents can result in “significant” risks to its portfolio holdings and that it continually monitors its holdings to address those risks.
The leaders said Kotick would be working to “regain trust” of employees throughout the company, according to partial transcripts from two of the meetings shared with Bloomberg. Activision president Rob Kostich told people in his group that Kotick wouldn’t be resigning, according to two attendees. Blizzard’s top executive, Mike Ybarra, told staff in what appeared to be pre-recorded remarks that he understood their frustrations and apologized for not being more active as a leader, according to two attendees.
Some employees of King, the makers of Candy Crush, asked whether a sudden announcement on Monday that they’d be getting bonus vacation days next week for Thanksgiving was meant to preempt the article. Activision Blizzard Chief Operating Officer Daniel Alegre denied that was the reason. In response to a question about whether Activision’s newly instituted “zero tolerance” policy on harassment, announced last month, would also apply to Kotick, Alegre said that his boss was “deeply and personally committed to doing the right things.”
Alegre also addressed the reported pay disparity between Ybarra and Jennifer Oneal, who were named co-leaders of Blizzard this summer following the lawsuit. Oneal, who resigned earlier this month, said she was paid less than Ybarra. Alegre said that Oneal was paid “differently” than Ybarra because of complications involving cash and equity and that “they were both offered the exact same compensation.”
But Oneal told Blizzard employees that she wasn’t offered compensation equal to Ybarra’s until she tendered her resignation, according to a Slack transcript reviewed by Bloomberg. Gaming website IGN earlier reported on the Slack exchange. Pay discrimination was one of the items listed in the California lawsuit.
The company also told staff that it’s banning alcohol in all offices. Many people were given the opportunity to take paid mental health days, which some staff said hadn’t mollified them. On video calls and in Slack channels across the company, calls for Kotick’s ousting continue. Many Activision Blizzard employees are even publicly demanding on their own personal Twitter feeds that the CEO be fired.
In an email to Blizzard staff on Tuesday reviewed by Bloomberg, Ybarra wrote that “if there’s a silver lining to the last few months, it’s that they’ve proven that Blizzard is full of incredible employees who are making progress every day to improve our culture, our game communities, and ourselves.” Ybarra added that “our best years are ahead of us.”
But with morale low and Kotick still in place, some employees are skeptical about that.
Jason Schreier
Wed, November 17, 2021
(Bloomberg) -- Some employees at Activision Blizzard Inc. said they were let down by internal meetings that were held Wednesday morning to discuss the new revelations about the company and Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick.
The gatherings took place on video calls across the game publisher’s three primary organizations, Activision, Blizzard and King. Executives in charge of each division took questions and shared similar talking points after the Wall Street Journal reported detailed allegations that Kotick was aware of sexual misconduct at the company years before a California lawsuit made them public this summer and failed to report alleged instances of rape to the board.
Hours after the article was published on Tuesday, more than a hundred employees staged a walkout to demand Kotick’s resignation. The board said it’s standing by Kotick, but partners and shareholders have raised questions about his handling of the crisis. Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation chief Jim Ryan criticized Activision’s response in an email to staff Wednesday, Bloomberg reported. When asked for comment, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, which owns more than a million shares in Activision, said in a statement that it recognizes that sexual harassment and misconduct incidents can result in “significant” risks to its portfolio holdings and that it continually monitors its holdings to address those risks.
The leaders said Kotick would be working to “regain trust” of employees throughout the company, according to partial transcripts from two of the meetings shared with Bloomberg. Activision president Rob Kostich told people in his group that Kotick wouldn’t be resigning, according to two attendees. Blizzard’s top executive, Mike Ybarra, told staff in what appeared to be pre-recorded remarks that he understood their frustrations and apologized for not being more active as a leader, according to two attendees.
Some employees of King, the makers of Candy Crush, asked whether a sudden announcement on Monday that they’d be getting bonus vacation days next week for Thanksgiving was meant to preempt the article. Activision Blizzard Chief Operating Officer Daniel Alegre denied that was the reason. In response to a question about whether Activision’s newly instituted “zero tolerance” policy on harassment, announced last month, would also apply to Kotick, Alegre said that his boss was “deeply and personally committed to doing the right things.”
Alegre also addressed the reported pay disparity between Ybarra and Jennifer Oneal, who were named co-leaders of Blizzard this summer following the lawsuit. Oneal, who resigned earlier this month, said she was paid less than Ybarra. Alegre said that Oneal was paid “differently” than Ybarra because of complications involving cash and equity and that “they were both offered the exact same compensation.”
But Oneal told Blizzard employees that she wasn’t offered compensation equal to Ybarra’s until she tendered her resignation, according to a Slack transcript reviewed by Bloomberg. Gaming website IGN earlier reported on the Slack exchange. Pay discrimination was one of the items listed in the California lawsuit.
The company also told staff that it’s banning alcohol in all offices. Many people were given the opportunity to take paid mental health days, which some staff said hadn’t mollified them. On video calls and in Slack channels across the company, calls for Kotick’s ousting continue. Many Activision Blizzard employees are even publicly demanding on their own personal Twitter feeds that the CEO be fired.
In an email to Blizzard staff on Tuesday reviewed by Bloomberg, Ybarra wrote that “if there’s a silver lining to the last few months, it’s that they’ve proven that Blizzard is full of incredible employees who are making progress every day to improve our culture, our game communities, and ourselves.” Ybarra added that “our best years are ahead of us.”
But with morale low and Kotick still in place, some employees are skeptical about that.
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