Activision Blizzard employees will be holding a one day walk out tomorrow and are calling on their leadership teams to adopt new policies to “empower a company-wide diversity, equity, & inclusion”. The event, named the Activision Blizzard Walkout for Equality, will run from 9am to 6pm PT, but the organisers have recognised that some lower paid employees may not be able to afford the unpaid day off work.
“We are encouraging employees to take whatever time off they feel safe to do,” an employee representative told Kotaku. “Most of us plan to take the full day off (without pay), but we understand some people like contractors and associates, and those who are paid less than they deserve, might not have the ability to do so.”
Blizzard is removing unspecified inappropriate references from World of Warcraft
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The
World of Warcraft developer Activision Blizzard last week.
The
World of Warcraft team’s statement Tuesday didn’t specify what “references” they would remove. But it seems possible that NPCs and items named for former
World of Warcraft senior creative director Alex Afrasiabi may be taken out of the game although Afrasiabi seemingly left Blizzard in June 2020, his stamp on the game remains, as
Afrasiabi was singled out in the lawsuit for his horrible behavior, which the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) says included “blatant sexual harassment with little to no repercussions.” The complaint provides more detail, which I am prefacing with a
Inside Blizzard Developers Infamous Bill Cosby Suite kotaku.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kotaku.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Blizzard Harasser From Lawsuit Is Still All Over World of Warcraft, Fans Dismay
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Field Marshal Afrasiabi is one of multiple NPCs named for Alex Afrasiabi who is mentioned in the Activision Blizzard lawsuit. (Screenshot: Blizzard / Kotaku)
Content warning: descriptions of sexual harassment
The suit alleges that the company has a toxic workplace culture that enables and protects abusers. In response, Activision Blizzard issued a statement denying the claims saying the state of California included “distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard’s past.”
But how just long ago was this “past”?
As the horrific allegations against Activision Blizzard came to light, one portion of the lawsuit stood out as particularly egregious. According to the complaint, Alex Afrasiabi, a creative director on
California sues Activision Blizzard over a culture of constant sexual harassment theverge.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theverge.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.