Co-founder and former CEO of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Morhaime, has made a statement on the allegations against Activision Blizzard.
Morhaime has posted a statement on Twitter in which he says that he is “extremely sorry that I failed you,” In response to allegations made against his former company.
The lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing after employee accusations. The suit alleges that women at the company are paid less than men in the same role, are promoted more slowly, and are more likely to be affected by layoffs.
It also alleges that a “frat boy workplace culture” has led to women being “subject to numerous sexual comments and advances, groping and unwanted physical touching, and other forms of harassment.”
My Thoughts
Read: https://t.co/JkOwtj31Sf
— Mike Morhaime (@mikemorhaime) July 24, 2021
The full statement from Morhaime is below:
“I have read the full complaint against Activision Blizzard and many of the other stories. It is all very disturbing and difficult to read. I am ashamed. It feels like everything I thought I stood for has been washed away. What’s worse but even more important, real people have been harmed, and some women had terrible experiences.
“I was at Blizzard for 28 years. During that time, I tried very hard to create an environment that was safe and welcoming for people of all genders and backgrounds. I knew that it was not perfect, but clearly we were far from that goal. The fact that so many women were mistreated and were not supported means we let them down. In addition, we did not succeed in making it feel safe for people to tell their truth. It is no consolation that other companies have faced similar challenges. I wanted us to be different, better.
“Harassment and discrimination exist. They are prevalent in our industry. It is the responsibility of leadership to keep all employees feeling safe, supported, and treated equitably, regardless of gender and background. It is the responsibility of leadership to stamp out toxicity and harassment in any form, across all levels of the company. To the Blizzard women who experienced any of these things, I am extremely sorry that I failed you.
“I realize that these are just words, but I wanted to acknowledge the women who had awful experiences. I hear you, I believe you, and I am so sorry to have let you down. I want to hear your stories, if you are willing to share them. As a leader in our industry, I can and will use my influence to help drive positive change and to combat misogyny, discrimination, and harassment wherever I can. I believe we can do better, and I believe the gaming industry can be a place where women and minorities are welcomed, included, supported, recognized, rewarded, and ultimately unimpeded from the opportunity to make the types of contributions that all of us join this industry to make. I want the mark I leave on this industry to be something that we can all be proud of.”
Recently, an Overwatch map announcement was pulled amid allegations against Activision Blizzard.
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