Judge signals plan to approve Activision Blizzard's $18m harassment settlement

A California District Court judge has said she is "prepared to approve" Activision Blizzard's $18 million misconduct settlement with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Likewise, the judge has dismissed claims made in the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing's (DFEH) objection to the settlement as "simply inaccurate."

In new court documents made public Tuesday, March 22 (via Bloomberg Law), Judge Dale S. Fischer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California said she was "generally satisfied that both the monetary relief and the nonmonetary provisions are fair, reasonable, and adequate."

It was announced back in September that Activision Blizzard had reached a deal with the EEOC to pay $18 million to eligible claimants, with any unclaimed funds to be donated to EEOC-approved charities benefitting women in the gaming industry or promoting awareness around harassment and gender inequality issues. The settlement is still subject to court approval, but Fischer is now signaling her intent to approve.

California's DFEH has objected to the settlement on the grounds that it might hamper its own case against Activision Blizzard. However, Fischer said today that many of the claims made in California's objection "are simply inaccurate, based on speculation, or otherwise address issues that the DFEH should not be concerned with." In December, Fischer said "it's just not appropriate" for the DFEH to intervene in the settlement.

A virtual hearing on the amended agreement between Activision Blizzard and the EEOC is planned for March 29.

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