A 14-year Blizzard veteran has filed a new lawsuit against the company claiming sexual harassment and discrimination, five years after Activision Blizzard was investigated for similar allegations that led to more than 3,000 developers going on strike.
This latest lawsuit, filed on September 9 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court and spotted by the LA Times, alleges "a pervasive 'frat boy' workplace culture" just like the last one, which described a "frat boy" environment that forced female employees to face "constant sexual harassment." Not much has changed since then according to the anonymous sound designer behind the fresh lawsuit.
The Jane Doe describes a Blizzard coworker who had her to his apartment between 2011 and 2012, and then, the lawsuit alleges, "blocked her exit, threaten[ing] her with physical violence and attempted to rape her." Between 2010 and 2015, another man Jane Doe worked with in Blizzard's sound department allegedly "repeatedly sexually harassed" and threatened her career and convinced her not to report him.
Similarly, Jane Doe says a Blizzard audio director would insist on touching her leg and later "retaliated against her by sabotaging her work and ensuring that she was denied a promotion," according to the lawsuit. She was pushed to work "excessive and unsafe hours" and dissuaded from reporting overtime, and, eventually, "was required to seek ongoing psychiatric care" for depression.
A Blizzard spokesperson told the LA Times, "We take these allegations seriously. We strive to maintain a respectful and inclusive workplace, and we do that through best-in-class policies and systems designed to prevent and address harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, and by holding employees accountable for their behavior." GamesRadar+ has reached out for comment.
Blizzard does sound more sober than it did in 2021, when it responded to its scandal regarding sexual harassment, unfair working conditions, and alleged rape by saying in a statement, "We are moving forward with unwavering focus, speed, and resources to continue increasing diversity across our company and industry and to ensure that every employee comes to work feeling valued, safe, respected, and inspired."
Ultimately, the developer paid a $35 million settlement while admitting no wrongdoing, and its former CEO Bobby Kotick left the company in 2023. It is unclear what result this latest lawsuit might see, or how long it might take.
