We knew that Activision Blizzard’s longtime CEO, Bobby Kotick, could be stepping down on the finish of this yr following Microsoft’s historic acquisition of his firm—however we didn’t know that he’d formally go away on the final workday of 2023, technically two days earlier than the tip of the yr. This tidbit was one among a number of from a letter he posted in the present day.
Kotick, who has been mired in controversy for lots of the 32 years he’s been at ActiBlizz’s helm, penned a goodbye letter to workers on Wednesday, December 20, and formally introduced his final day will likely be December 29 (the ultimate workday of 2023, he’s not a weekend warrior). Titled “Bobby Kotick: With gratitude,” the letter is addressed to “extraordinary folks” and begins with Kotick’s historical past as a capital “G” Gamer.
Through the years, my ardour for video video games has typically been attributed to Pitfall!, River Raid, and Kaboom!. I like these Atari 2600 video games, however the sport that first captured my creativeness was Thriller Home, developed by Roberta and Ken Williams. I performed it on a borrowed Apple II evening after evening whereas in faculty on the College of Michigan.
Thriller Home was a textual content journey with some primitive sprite-based graphics. (Fittingly, we now personal Thriller Home and the corporate that printed it, Sierra On Line). The world by which the sport was performed was largely left to the participant’s creativeness. I envisioned wealthy, huge worlds with all kinds of interactive, animated life that may allow gamers to meet their various aspirations—all in a simulated universe that provided limitless prospects for problem, connection, and enjoyable.
He continues, praising the exhausting work of the very sameActivision Blizzard workers who accused him of contributing to the creation of a office surroundings that included sexual harassment and discrimination—accusations that he has loudly and vehemently denied. Again in 2021, Kotick toyed with the thought of quitting if he couldn’t “repair” the corporate tradition, however in the end determined to remain on and maintain cashing his paycheck. It’s unclear if the corporate tradition was ever fastened, however that remark got here the identical week he admitted to penning a tone-deaf, company-wide e-mail that prompted a staff-wide walkout.
Later, Kotick’s letter calls Microsoft / Xbox the “world’s most admired firm,” and says the main acquisition (which the FTC tried to dam) wasn’t “an accident.” He then turns his consideration to Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, although, as The Verge reviews, head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty will oversee operations at ActiBlizz going ahead.
Phil Spencer has appreciated the magic of ABK for many years. When he approached Brian [Bulatao, Chief Administrative Officer] and me two years in the past and proposed buying the corporate, it was instantly apparent that the mixture of our companies would allow us to proceed to steer because the listing of succesful, well-resourced opponents grows.
Phil shares our values and acknowledges our skills. He’s obsessed with our video games and the individuals who make them. He has daring ambition.
As we transfer into our subsequent thrilling chapter, you might not be in higher fingers.
It’s unclear how Microsoft will deal with ActiBlizz’s current return-to-office mandate for distant QA testers, who’re calling the stance a “soft layoff.”
As for Kotick’s departure, I’ll quote my late grandfather Pasquale Cestaro: “You don’t gotta go house, however you gotta go.”
Correction 12/20/2023 2:20 p.m. ET: In truth, Matt Booty will oversee ActiBlizz operations going ahead.