Embattled Activision Blizzard CEO will reportedly stay on should Microsoft's acquisition fail

News
By published

Bobby Kotick is apparently sticking around should the deal fall short

Modern Warfare 2
(Image credit: Activision)

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick will reportedly stay at the company should Microsoft's acquisition fail.

Yesterday on February 9, Yahoo reported that anonymous sources told Fox Business that Kotick would maintain his position at Activision Blizzard should Microsoft's acquisition fall through. He "will absolutely remain at the gaming giant to run the company," one source told the channel.

That was before a recent UK government provisional ruling, however. Earlier this week, the Competitions and Markets Authority in the UK provisionally ruled that Microsoft's attempted acquisition would reduce competition, and hinted that it may well rule against the acquisition later this year.

Kotick, for his part, is far from the most popular person at Activision Blizzard. The CEO was sued last year in May, with plaintiffs claiming that he ignored credible allegations of misconduct at the company, and that he was using the Microsoft acquisition to "escape accountability." 

In 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported that Kotick knew of the allegations made against Activision Blizzard's reported culture of sexual harassment, and did nothing to change the corporation's policies. The report also claimed Kotick had protected an employee who committed sexual harassment from being fired, and had threatened to kill an assistant over voicemail.

The complaint last year was only the latest in a growing line of Activision Blizzard lawsuits and investigations. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.