On Tuesday, Microsoft announced its plan to acquire Activision Blizzard – the makers of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush, and many other popular video game franchises – for a reported $68.7 billion. The move comes amid rising tensions between Activision Blizzard executives and workers trying to form a union. Organizers say that despite the distraction and the potential for new leadership, the fight for workers’ rights at Activision Blizzard is still ongoing.
In a statement Tuesday on Twitter, the Activision Blizzard King Workers’ Alliance insisted the change must come from the top of the company — regardless of who owns it.
“The news of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision comes as a surprise,” the Activision Blizzard King Workers’ Alliance said in a statement today on twitter
It’s a situation that Activision Blizzard largely created itself. The story began last summer with extensive coverage at Kotaku and other outlets that describe a hostile work environment that was decades in the making. In September 2021, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission joined forces and filed a formal complaint against Activision Blizzard. In it, EEOC alleged that the video game publisher had subjected employees to sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination and retaliation. The matter was settled for $18 million, but more unsavory stories surfaced in the weeks and months that followed. One worker said the company suffers from an “alcohol-soaked culture of sexual harassment.”
The ABK Workers Alliance was formed in Aug 2021 Support employees and improve working conditions. Those efforts are still ongoing, including at Raven Software, where workers are now in their fifth week of strikes to protest layoffs. Other demands include calls for the removal of CEO Bobby Kotick, who has retained his position at Activision Blizzard despite his central role in many of its controversies.
“Regardless of the governance structure of the company,” the ABK Workers Alliance concluded in its statement, “we will continue our push towards #EndAbuseInGaming and appreciate the tremendous support we have experienced over the past year.” The organization is currently accepting Donations to support striking workers at Raven Software
The Communication Workers of America (CWA), one of the largest and most influential unions in the country, supports the ABK Workers Alliance in its efforts to organize. That too made a statement on Tuesday.
“Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard would represent a major shift in the gaming industry and would significantly strengthen Microsoft’s competitive position at a critical stage in the industry’s evolution,” CWA President Christopher M. Shelton said in a statement attached to igamesnews was sent. “Prior to any approval of this proposed deal, the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Attorneys General must all carefully consider the impact on consumers and American workers, particularly Activision Blizzard employees who have attempted to improve working conditions and create problems.” relating to corporate culture of sexist and discriminatory cultural practices, wage inequality, harassment and abuse in the workplace.
“Activision Blizzard’s response to its employees’ concerns has been repeated surveillance, intimidation tactics and the hiring of notorious union fighters,” Shelton continued. “Concerns from Activision Blizzard employees must be addressed in any plan – acquisition or not – about the future direction of the company.”
