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Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who left the company and the videogame industry at the end of 2023 following its acquisition by Microsoft, is back in the game. Skydance, the company formed by Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, has added Kotick to its board, where he will serve as an independent director.
In a press release, Skydance credited Kotick for building Activision Blizzard “into one of those world’s most successful videogame companies” during his 32 years as CEO.
“Bobby led a global entertainment company through three decades of sustained growth, and he brings real perspective on building enduring franchises and connecting with fans,” Skydance CEO David Ellison said. “His record of pairing bold strategic moves with disciplined capital allocation is exactly the experience we need as we bring our businesses together.”
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Thus, the obvious question: Is Kotick there to take the reins of the company’s newly reconstituted gaming division?
It’s possible: Skydance heaped praise on the former Activision boss for his leadership and business acumen. “He showed a rare ability to anticipate shifts in how consumers engage with entertainment, investing in new platforms, new business models and new ways of reaching fans while keeping creative excellence at the center of the enterprise,” the company said, adding that “his experience scaling a franchise-driven business, managing the complexity of a global public company and steering major industry transitions will serve Skydance well as it navigates an evolving media and entertainment landscape.”
But his tenure was also controversial. In 2021, the company faced allegations of “unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation,” and was the subject of a lawsuit filed by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing. At the time, PC Gamer, interviewed three women who cooperated with that investigation, and who described an unprofessional workplace where bad behavior was excused.
The matter was ultimately settled in December 2023, shortly before Kotick’s departure: Activision paid $54 million to the state to settle pay and promotion inequity claims, and set aside another $47 million to handle accusations of gender discrimination; the California Civil Rights Department (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing) dropped its sexual harassment suit, stating in the settlement that “no court or any independent investigation” has substantiated allegations of “systemic or widespread sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard” or that Kotick acted improperly with regard to handling workplace misconduct.
Earlier in 2023, Activision Blizzard paid $35 million to settle an SEC complaint that it had violated rules for the protection of whistleblowers and failed to disclose information to investors. The terms of that settlement stated that the payment did not represent an admission of guilt.
Kotick has previously served on the boards of the Coca-Cola Company and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, illustrating that ultimately, these moves are all about business.
