Mike Windle is the photographer for Vanity Fair.
Since the state of California sued the company for a culture of "constant sexual harassment" in July, the company has been in a state of controversy. More than 1,500 employees signed a petition to remove Bobby Kotick as CEO. The Wall Street Journal reported recently that 37 people had left the company and 44 had been disciplined.
Kotick will remain as CEO.
The WSJ said that the publisher's former CEO was aware of the company's toxic culture and participated in it. The bosses of both Microsoft and Sony told their employees they were troubled by the report, and employees called for Kotick to step down.
Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft gaming, is in line to run the company as Microsoft has a deal to acquire the company. Bobby Kotick will continue to serve as CEO of the company, and he and his team will continue to focus on driving efforts to further strengthen the company's culture and accelerate business growth. The business will report to Spencer after that.
Below, you can see what Spencer and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told their employees, as well as Kotick's letter to workers at Activision.
Team.
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Today is an exciting day. We will eventually join Microsoft as we continue our journey to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. I am certain that our incredible talent and extraordinary games combined with our shared commitment to the very best workplace will enable us to grow in an increasingly more competitive race for leadership as gaming through the metaverse continues to evolve.
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How did we get here and where are we going?
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We have a lot to be proud of when we reflect on what we have built together. We have continuously shaped gaming through our commitment to deliver joy, fun, and the thrill of accomplishment.
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We have transformed games into social experiences and enabled players to find purpose and meaning through our games. We created and entertained hundreds of millions of players.
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The next step is connecting these communities. Amazon, NetEase, Apple, Sony, Disney, and many more have ambitions for their own gaming and metaverse initiatives. Virtual worlds filled with professionally produced content, user generated content and rich social connections are opportunities for established and emerging competitors.
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The construction of a rich metaverse depends on our talent and games. We have always attracted the very best game makers and built the very best games with passion, inspiration, focus, and determination.
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A partnership is needed to define the future.
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As investments in cloud computing, machine learning, data analytics, and user interface and experience capabilities are becoming more competitive, we believe this partnership will better enable our ambitions.
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All roads lead to Microsoft. They have been making games for a long time. Microsoft has already distributed hundreds of millions of games to the world's computers and computing devices, and has technologies and innovation that will support the next generation of games.
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Microsoft will support our journey to strengthen our culture. Microsoft's CEO has advocated for caring as the currency of leadership. We embrace the idea of inspiring people through empathy as we work to set a new standard for a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture.
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Microsoft wants you because of your talent, creativity, and dedication to each other. Each of you can be credited with the success of the company. Microsoft is committed to excellence and creative independence, and we anticipate minimal changes for our workforce following the close of the transaction. Microsoft will give us access to valuable expertise, technology, and tools and provide even greater opportunities for learning and development.
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Thanks to your feedback, we are making strides in improving our culture. Microsoft is acquiring an exemplary workplace because of my commitment to continue evolving our culture.
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What is next?
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Transactions like these can take a long time to complete. We will continue to operate autonomously until we receive all the necessary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions are satisfied, which we expect to happen sometime in Microsoft's fiscal 2023 year ending June 30, 2023. When I started this amazing journey in 1991, I had the same passion and enthusiasm that I have today.
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This announcement will give rise to many questions. We will host many forums and events to address your concerns.
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I am proud of the work we have done together. This transaction represents endless possibilities for us, and now it is on to our next chapter. I am very appreciative of your efforts, focus, and dedication to connecting the world through joy and fun.
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With gratitude.
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Bobby.
In July, Kotick wrote a letter explaining that he and the company were committed to long- lasting change. The message failed to address critical elements at the heart of employee concerns, including issues like forced arbitration, which finally ended last month.
Jen Oneal, who took on the role of co-lead after the studio's leadership shifted in the wake of the lawsuit, stepped down after only three months. According to the Wall Street Journal report, Oneal was paid less than her male counterpart and wrote in an email to the company's legal team that she had been "tokenized, marginalized, and discriminated against." After she resigned, Oneal told employees that she only got equal pay.
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