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Microsoft's head of Xbox Phil Spencer says that he is "evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard and making ongoing proactive adjustments." This comes by way of an internal email sent to staff that was shared with Bloomberg.
Spencer's email comes just a short time after this week's eye opening revelations that say that Activision Blizzard higher-ups, including CEO Bobby Kotick, not only knew about the rampant sexual harassment and misconduct within the game studio, but often times protected the offenders or tried to hide the truth. Since that initial report by The Wall Street Journal, there has been a push by employees, fans, shareholders, and others in the industry for Bobby Kotick to resign. However, there seems to be no indication from either Kotick or the Activision board of directors that this will happen.
The email that Spencer sent to his staff says that he and his team are "disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions" taking place at Activision Blizzard. Much of what Spencer says in his email seems to be quite similar to statements made by PlayStation chief Jim Ryan in his own email sent to Sony employees.
"This type of behavior has no place in our industry,†Spencer wrote. He joins a swell of outcry from employees to investors and shareholders in demanding a stronger response from the U.S.’s second-biggest gaming publisher. On Wednesday, Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation Chief Jim Ryan sent a similar note to staff, writing that he and his leadership were “disheartened and frankly stunned to read†that Activision “has not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment."
Public backlash continues to mount against Activision Blizzard. The company's stock has already been impacted, though not be a whole lot. JPMorgan Chase has cut its recommendation on the stock due to the revelations made about Bobby Kotick and further incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct within the company.
