Activision Blizzard Workers Stage a Strike

Recently, the state of California took legal action against game company Activision Blizzard for the alleged severe and widespread harassment faced by female employees. This legal action followed a two-year investigation that revealed accounts of a toxic work environment characterized by excessive drinking, misconduct, and abuses of power, resulting in the tragic loss of a female employee’s life due to the hardships she endured.

In response to the lawsuit, a representative from Activision Blizzard stated, “We prize diversity and are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all.”

“There is no tolerance for any form of sexual misconduct or harassment in our company, our industry, or any industry,” they emphasized.

They further asserted that the lawsuit presented a distorted and often inaccurate depiction of Blizzard’s history, which deeply offended many employees within the company.

More than 300 employees at Activision Blizzard’s headquarters are participating in a walkout today to protest not only the harassment itself and the company’s handling of the situation but also to advocate for enhanced employee benefits.

“We feel that the values we hold as employees are not being faithfully represented by the words and actions of our leadership,” the organizers expressed in a formal statement.

“We are aware of numerous individuals within the company who have raised concerns about these issues for years or have lodged complaints that were disregarded,” Valentine Powell, a software engineer and one of the strikers, revealed. “The lawsuit and the company’s response to it acted as the catalyst that ignited the discontentment among us.”

We express our solidarity with the Activision Blizzard employees participating in the walkout, both physically and virtually, to denounce the distressing revelations from the recent lawsuit. We stand by your side! #ActiBlizzWalkout https://t.co/ClIeFrkP20

— Game Workers of Southern California (@GWSoCal) July 27, 2021

The protesters have outlined four main requests: eliminate mandatory arbitration clauses from employment contracts, implement measures to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion, disclose salary data, promotion rates, and pay scales for all employees regardless of gender or ethnicity, and engage an independent entity to scrutinize the organization’s framework, human resources procedures, and executive management.

For those unable to physically join the demonstration, an online virtual protest will be held through the Twitter hashtag #ActiBlizzWalkout. The campaigners using the hashtag have urged individuals not to violate the symbolic “picket line” by participating in online gaming activities like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty.