Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick sent a letter to all employees, investors and the general public about the company's struggles with sexual harassment and workplace discrimination. This was just an hour before the proposed employee walkout.Nearly one-third of employees signed an open condemnation letter against Activision Blizzards initial reaction to those allegations. Koticks letter addresses this head-on. Kotick writes: Our initial responses on the issues we face together and to your concerns were, quite frankly.Kotick states that WilmerHale will review the company's policies in order to promote respect and inclusion. Activision Blizzard will continue its investigation into each claim and will take decisive action. It will also fire any person who has hampered our process for evaluating claims.The company also plans to modify its games. We've heard from players and employees that some of the in-game content was inappropriate. Kotick writes that we are going to remove this content. Blizzard earlier today announced that World of Warcraft would eliminate references that are inappropriate for our world without naming any.This situation is very similar to Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot, who also announced that Ubisoft would be cleaning up after failing to respond to initial allegations of sexual misconduct.Below is the complete letter.July 27, 2021It has been a challenging and frustrating week.I would like to thank everyone who has stepped forward, both in the recent past and in the future. I so appreciate your courage. Every voice is important - we will listen better now and in the future.Our initial responses to the problems we faced together and to your concerns were tone deaf.It is important that we recognize all perspectives and experience and respect the feelings and needs of anyone who has been mistreated. We are sorry for not being able to show empathy and understanding.Many of you told us that being so passionate about the Company is what makes active outreach possible. It is an excellent reflection of your care for the Company and our players, as well as how you treat each other. My highest priority is to ensure that our workplace is safe and welcoming. Your voice has been heard by the leadership team.We are taking immediate action to make our company the caring, compassionate place you want to work and to provide a safe environment. Our Company is free from discrimination, harassment, and unequal treatment of any type.We will do our best to ensure that we all work together to create an inclusive workplace that fosters creativity and inspires.WilmerHale has been asked to review our policies and procedures. This will ensure that we are following best practices and promoting a respectful workplace. The work will start immediately. Stephanie Avakian will lead the WilmerHale team. She is part of the WilmerHale management team and was previously the Director of Enforcement, United States Securities and Exchange Commissions Division.If you have had an unpleasant experience at work, or believe it violates our policies, please use one of the many channels to report or reach out to Stephanie. WilmerHale's ATVI@wilmerhale.com and 202-247-2725 will be available to talk with you confidentially. All communications will remain confidential. No retaliation will, of course.We are committed for long-lasting changes. We will immediately take the following steps:Employee Support. Each claim will be investigated and we will not hesitate taking decisive action. We are increasing our resources in this area by adding senior staff to the Compliance and Employee Relations teams.Listening Sessions. Many of you have provided ideas and inspiration for us to improve our culture. We will create safe spaces for you to share your ideas and speak up, with the assistance of third parties.Personnel Changes. We are currently evaluating all managers and leaders in the Company. Anybody found to be interfering with our processes for evaluating claims or imposing the appropriate consequences will be fired.The Best Hiring Practices. An email was sent earlier this year asking all hiring managers for diverse candidate lists to be prepared for any open positions. To ensure compliance, we will be adding resources to help our hiring managers comply with this directive.In-game changes. We've listened to the feedback from both employee and player groups that some of our ingame content is not appropriate. We are working to remove that content.My priority is your well-being. I will use every resource to ensure that our company has the safest, most comfortable and welcoming environment possible.My unwavering commitment to you is that together we will improve the company and make it the best entertainment company in the entire world.Sincerely,Bobby
