Activision Blizzard CEO reportedly knew of sexual harassment claims

Claims were allegedly not reported to the company board of directors.

What you need to know

• Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick reportedly worked to keep sexual harassment claims quiet, per the Wall Street Journal.
• Kotick allegedly knew of several instances in which employees were accused of sexually harassing colleagues.
• Kotick also reportedly threatened to murder an employee, which Activision refers to as "hyperbolic."

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick knew of sexual harassment claims, including allegations of rape, and worked to keep the situations quiet, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to the report, Kotick did not inform the Activision Blizzard board of directors of multiple instances where employees accused workplae superiors of sexual harassment. One of the accused is Dan Bunting, co-studio head of Treyarch, who Wall Street Journal reports has now left the company.

Kotick also reportedly threatened an employee, saying he'd kill her. An Activision spokesperson reportedly referred to his statements as "obviously hyperbolic and innapropriate." Activision Blizzard is currently facing a lawsuit, alleging multiple instands of sexist workplace behavior and abuse.

Former Blizzard co-lead Jen Oneal, who left the company months after being promoted, was reportedly paid less than her male coworkers even after being promoted. Oneal claims to have been sexually harassed during her time at Blizzard, while also recounting a story in which a party held at an Activision studio, attended by Kotick, featured women dancing on stripper poles, while other women at the party were encouraged to drink more. Oneal also reportedly sent an email to Activision legal, expressing a lack of faith in the company.

Kotick previously announced that he'd be taking a pay cut, while announcing company-wide changes at Activision Blizzard, including a zero tolerance harassment policy and working to increase the number of women and non-binary people employed at the company, which the ABetterABK workers' collective referred to as a "win."