Activision Blizzard, the maker of massive titles like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo and Candy Crush, is the subject of a lawsuit filed by California in July alleging the company promoted a “pervasive ‘frat boy’ workplace culture” of “constant sexual harassment” among its female employees. The civil lawsuit, filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing after a two-year investigation, includes claims of gender discrimination, unequal pay, sexual harassment and other violations of the state’s civil rights laws.
The lawsuit has triggered billing within Activision Blizzard and across the gaming industry. Hundreds of Activision Blizzard employees went on strike in late July to protest the company’s initial response to the lawsuit and demand changes from the leadership. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick eventually issued a new statement calling the company’s original comments “deaf” and promising to make major changes. One of the first big ones came on August 3, when Blizzard Entertainment President J. Allen Brack – who is named in the lawsuit as the facilitator of an alleged harasser in the studio – stepped down from his role.
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