Activision Blizzard has got something going on. The studio was sued by the state of California. As with Ubisoft or Riot Games, sexual harassment and discrimination against female employees are on the agenda.
The State’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is behind the lawsuit. The on Lawsuit filed Tuesday covers a range of issues, including a culture of persistent sexual harassment, fraternity mentality and discrimination that were uncovered during a two-year investigation. The focus is primarily on Blizzard Entertainment.
The allegations are wide-ranging and quite terrifying. There is talk of discrimination against female employees in terms of salaries, promotions and general conditions in employment contracts. In addition, there are countless allegations of sexual harassment, sometimes even under the influence of alcohol and in public, and much more. The executives are accused of not intervening, but on the contrary still promoting the behavior or being involved.
An employee is said to have committed suicide while on a company trip with a supervisor after she was previously massively sexually harassed, including by spreading nude photos during a company party. Serious allegations and, as has been shown in recent years, not uncommon among game developers – see Ubisoft, Riot Games and a few more.
Activision Blizzard has meanwhile sharply attacked the DFEH in a statement regarding incorrect or distorted presentation of the facts. All necessary steps have been taken to combat harassment and discrimination. Meanwhile, more and more former employees are expressing themselves on social media and confirming or describing various incidents of sexual harassment. Seems like Blizzard is not getting out of this number that easily.
