Judge approves Activision Blizzard's $18m harassment settlement

(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

A California District Court judge has approved Activision Blizzard's $18 million misconduct settlement with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), officially resolving the latter's lawsuit against the former.

While this specific case comes to a close following today's approval from US District Judge Dale Fischer, Activision Blizzard is still facing separate suits from shareholders, former employees, and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).

The DFEH previously objected to the settlement approved today on the grounds that it might hamper its own case against the company, but Fischer later responded that she felt "generally satisfied that both the monetary relief and the nonmonetary provisions are fair, reasonable, and adequate." It was then that she signaled her intent to have the deal approved.

Today, in a virtual hearing on the amended agreement between Activision Blizzard and the EEOC, Fischer said that she will approve the settlement, acknowledging the possibility of an appeal. "I'm going to sign the consent decree, which will close this case," she told a DFEH representative (via The Washington Post) sitting in on the call. "You've already filed a motion. Your request is untimely. Talk to the 9th circuit."

In a statement to GamesRadar, a spokesperson for the EEOC had this to say about today's decision by the court:

"We are pleased that the judge has indicated her intent to sign the consent decree. The consent decree not only provides monetary relief to potential claimants that were impacted by sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination and related retaliation at Activision Blizzard throughout the United States, but also puts in place significant injunctive relief at Activision Blizzard to prevent and address discrimination, harassment, and retaliation."

And here's a statement from Activision Blizzard issued following today's decision:

"The agreement we reached with the EEOC last year reflected our unwavering commitment to ensure a safe and equitable working environment for all employees," said CEO Bobby Kotick. "Our goal is to make Activision Blizzard a model for the industry, and we will continue to focus on eliminating harassment and discrimination from our workplace. The court's approval of this settlement is an important step in ensuring that our employees have mechanisms for recourse if they experienced any form of harassment or retaliation."

Read up on everything we know about the DFEH's ongoing Activision Blizzard lawsuit.

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.