With the completion of the deal with Microsoft, Activision’s longtime CEO Bobby Kotick said goodbye.
Activision Blizzard’s longtime CEO is set to leave the company a little more than two months after it was acquired by Microsoft.
In an email to employees released by the video game company, Kotick looked back nostalgically on his 32-year tenure and thanked employees who “have contributed tirelessly to building this company.”
His last day will be December 29, according to a separate note obtained by The Verge.
“You have transformed a hobby form of entertainment into the most engaging medium in the world,” Kotick wrote in his farewell email, adding that one of the best parts of his job was “promoting inspiration, creativity, and unwavering commitment.” “It’s about creating an environment where people can do it,” he added. “Excellently.”
Last week, Activision agreed to pay nearly $55 million to settle a California civil rights lawsuit that alleged a pervasive toxic culture at the company, including complaints of widespread sexual harassment, discrimination and wage disparities.
Activision denied the allegations, and the workplace harassment claims were excluded from the amended final complaint. In 2021, Kotick pledged to improve his working conditions, while admitting his “tone-deaf” response to the claims that prompted the strike in the summer of 2021.
A new CEO has not yet been named, but The Verge reports that most of Activision’s executive team will remain in place as the company is absorbed into Microsoft’s gaming business.
Activision produces popular video games such as ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘World of Warcraft.’ Microsoft acquired the company for $69 billion in mid-October after nearly two years of regulatory battles.
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