The scandal surrounding Blizzard and Activision continues. Now, documents crucial for the investigation are said to have been shredded.
Update 9:40 AM: Activision Blizzard has now sent a statement to the website Kotaku, which has been published there. According to Activision Blizzard, they have “complied with all requests” and have already implemented new reforms and changes during the ongoing investigation. These include:
- Replacement of some high-ranking officials
- Revision of hiring and recruitment processes to ensure greater diversity in selection
- Increased transparency for pay equality
- Expanded and improved training for the HR department regarding investigations
- Investigation teams have been established that work outside the business teams to ensure greater independence
- Departments have been restructured to clarify responsibilities
- Improved review processes where employee feedback on leadership carries more weight
- Clear workplace rules with zero-tolerance policies against harassment and other demeaning behaviors
Activision Blizzard emphasizes that they share the goal of the California agency to become an inclusive workplace that can serve as a model for others.
Original report: For a few days, things went a bit quiet about the major discrimination and sexism scandal at Activision Blizzard. Now there is news – and unfortunately, it’s not good. The California agency has expanded its investigations and is making new allegations. It is said that important documents from Activision Blizzard have been shredded, which were supposed to contribute to the clarification of the cases.
What’s happening at Blizzard? For almost a month, there has been a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has filed charges against the game studio. There are accusations of massive discrimination against women and sexual harassment.
Especially the team around World of Warcraft has been criticized. A particularly critical employee, Alex Afrasiabi, was let go some time ago due to these allegations. Blizzard even had all references to his name removed in WoW.
In recent weeks, more and more reports have emerged from women and current and former employees, sharing their stories and painting a bleak picture.
What has happened now? The lawsuit has been expanded. It now includes not only the permanent employees of Activision Blizzard but also those who were only temporarily employed there – for instance, those hired for a specific project or on short-term contracts.
But that’s not all. At the same time, Activision Blizzard is accused of shredding important documents related to the investigation, thereby actively hindering it.
Furthermore, the agency accuses Activision Blizzard of actively preventing employees from reporting issues. There were apparently confidentiality agreements that were supposed to prevent employees from contacting the agency and made it mandatory to first seek solutions internally with HR. However, this almost never led to consequences, leaving affected employees feeling disregarded.
So, anyone who thought that a period of improvement and renewal would take place at Blizzard could be mistaken. It will likely take a while until this process is completed and all scandals are uncovered and dealt with.
The entire scandal will probably accompany us for weeks and months. We can only hope that the situation improves for all those affected in the course of the clarification.
