Activision Blizzard CEO Disputes Riccitiello's Leadership

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently launched a scathing attack on his former EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast appearance on Grit. Kotick, speaking alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, acknowledged EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's, but insisted he'd rather have kept Riccitiello in his position indefinitely. Kotick stated this wasn't influenced by Gordon's presence, adding that their primary concern was preventing Gordon from taking the helm at EA.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial struggles and significant layoffs. His tenure, beginning in 2007, was punctuated by controversial decisions, including a proposal to shareholders suggesting Battlefield players pay per reload. He later served as CEO of Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst a controversy surrounding installation fees. His time at Unity also included an apology to developers for his disparaging remarks about those opposed to microtransactions.

Interestingly, Kotick revealed EA's multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard, stating that EA's business model was, in many ways, considered stronger and more stable.

Kotick's own leadership at Activision Blizzard, while financially successful culminating in Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition in 2023, was also embroiled in controversy. Numerous allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and mishandling of serious misconduct claims surfaced. While Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews found allegations of widespread sexual harassment and improper board actions to be unsubstantiated, a $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023. The settlement noted that no court or independent investigation substantiated claims of systemic sexual harassment or improper board handling of misconduct.

In the same interview, Kotick also offered his critical assessment of the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."