Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard agrees to £28.9m settlement over its handling of discrimination and harassment claims
Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard yesterday agreed to a £28.9 million settlement for its handling of discrimination and harassment claims.
The video game company had been aware from 2018 to 2021 that its business units lacked controls and procedures to handle misconduct complaints, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said.
The regulator said Activision, which has been hit by workplace scandals, knew retention issues were “a particularly significant risk in its business”.
Under Fire: Call of Duty Creator Hit by Recent Work Scandals
The game maker had a staff walkout in 2021 after management dismissed claims it harbored a ‘frat boy’ culture as ‘inaccurate’.
Last year, he reached an agreement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which oversees civil rights issues in the workplace.
Activision said it was “pleased to have resolved this matter out of court” and improved its workplace reporting and the wording of its contracts.
The company was bought by Microsoft last year in a £56 billion deal that UK watchdogs are currently examining for potential competition concerns.
