PlayStation CEO condemns Blizzard response to new Bobby Kotick allegations
Gamereactor / Wikimedia CommonsPlayStation chief Jim Ryan has condemned Activision Blizzard’s response to allegations made against CEO Bobby Kotick, which resulted in an employee walkout and shareholders demanding his resignation.
Activision Blizzard’s CEO, Bobby Kotick, has been accused of being aware of sexual misconduct at the company for years.
Kotick has disputed these claims, calling them “misleading,” but that hasn’t stopped many others from stepping in and sharing their thoughts on the matter.
The next in that line is PlayStation CEO, Jim Ryan, who, according to a report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, was “disheartened and frankly stunned” at the news – but more so Activision’s handling of the situation.
PlayStation CEO goes after Activision Blizzard over Kotick controversy
According to the Bloomberg report, Ryan was deeply dissatisfied with the Activision Blizzard situation, like so many others.
In an email, he wrote that Activision Blizzard “has not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment.” Ryan went on: “We do not believe their statements of response properly address the situation.”
NEW: PlayStation boss Jim Ryan slammed Activision Blizzard this morning, writing in an email to staff that he was "disheartened and frankly stunned" by this week's news. "We do not believe their statements of response properly address the situation." https://t.co/78mvdvqZzs
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 17, 2021
The ongoing controversy has the potential to affect the release dates of several marquee titles like Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4, two games that have already been delayed numerous times.
PlayStation, and by proxy Sony, have worked closely with Activision Blizzard in the past, as the two share many titles under each of their respective umbrellas.
It’s unclear as to whether the handling of these allegations will affect the relationship between the two in the future.
With shareholders and employees calling for Kotick’s resignation, though, a change in leadership could be imminent.