Activision Blizzard has announced that it has formed the “Workplace Responsibility Committee” in an effort to improve the company’s workplace culture amid ongoing reports about sexual abuse, harassment, and discrimination, which have prompted calls for Bobby Kotick’s resignation.
In a news release published on Monday evening, Activision Blizzard said that the new “Workplace Responsibility Committee” was formed to implement “new policies, procedures, and commitments” designed to “improve workplace culture and eliminate all forms of harassment and discrimination at the company.” The committee will be led by the only two female directors elected to the board, Dawn Ostroff and Reveta Brown, and will add a “new, diverse director” fairly soon.
The committee’s formation seems to reaffirm the board’s support for the embattled Kotick, who has been accused of acknowledging the abuse scandal within Activision Blizzard and covering it up. The company said he, along with the CPO and CCO, will be tasked with frequently updating the committee with progress reports on key accountability measures. The company said that outside advisors will be consulted, including lawyers, but won’t invite any input from the workforce whatsoever.
Meanwhile, Nintendo has joined PlayStation and Microsoft in criticizing Activision Blizzard. According to a report from Fanbyte, Doug Bowser wrote an email to his employees calling the reports of harassment and discrimination at the company “distressing and disturbing” and said that they “run counter to my as well as Nintendo’s beliefs, values, and policies.”
