Microsoft Promises To Put the ‘Right People in the Right Position’ To Improve Activision Blizzard Culture

Microsoft has committed to putting “the right people in the right position” at the helm of Activision Blizzard amid the ongoing serious allegations around the company’s toxic workplace culture.

As reported by VGC, Microsoft president Brad Smith told CNBC that his company is looking at the current leadership team at Activision Blizzard, and that there will be “change” to some aspects should the acquisition deal proceed.

He said: “We’re looking to the leadership team at Activision Blizzard today to make culture and workplace safety a top priority every single day, until the day when this deal hopefully closes. And then we’ll take over and we need to make that same commitment.

“There will be some aspects that will change but it will all be one new team that will work together,” he continued. “Most importantly, we want to see the culture evolve, and we’ll see how people perform between now and the day this closes, assuming it’s approved. And then we’ll have the opportunity to make sure that we have the right people in the right position.”

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has been at the centre of rumoured changes and is currently expected to leave after the Microsoft deal closes. Several shareholders, employees, and members of the Activision Blizzard King (ABK) Workers Alliance have called for Kotick’s resignation after a report claimed he knew about alleged sexual assault and harassment allegations within the company.

Activision Blizzard was sued by California over allegations of a “frat boy culture” and sexual harassment, but Blizzard has promised to improve its culture after what it called a “challenging” 2021.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.