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After a report from The Wall Street Journal revealed Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick had previous knowledge of allegations of sexual misconduct at his company, the heads of PlayStation and Xbox each reportedly criticized the game publisher last week. Nintendo boss Doug Bowser also shared his concerns about the company with employees, saying he found the reports to be “distressing and disturbing” according to an article from Fanbyte Monday.
In the email, Bowser said representatives at Nintendo have been “in contact with Activision, have taken action and are assessing others,” although no specifics were given.
Bloomberg reported that the Xbox and PlayStation chiefs sent emails to their employees after the WSJ report was published, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer saying they’re “evaluating all aspects of our relationship with Activision Blizzard.”
Spencer’s email to employees Thursday reportedly said he and the gaming leadership team were “disturbed and deeply troubled by the horrific events and actions” at Activision Blizzard. He went on to say that the behavior has no place in the industry.
“I personally have strong values for a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our employees at Xbox,” Spencer said in an emailed statement Thursday. “This is not a destination but a journey that we will always be on. The leadership at Xbox and Microsoft stand by our teams and support them in building a safer environment for all.”
PlayStation chief Jim Ryan’s email on Wednesday reportedly had a similar sentiment, with him saying Activision Blizzard “has not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment.”
Activision said it respects all feedback from its partners and is engaging with them further.
“We have detailed important changes we have implemented in recent weeks, and we will continue to do so,” the company said in an email statement Thursday. “We are committed to the work of ensuring our culture and workplace are safe, diverse and inclusive. We know it will take time, but we will not stop until we have the best workplace for our team.”
Activision Blizzard employees have called for Kotick’s removal as the company’s CEO since the report was published. A new article from the Wall Street Journal says Kotick will consider leaving his position if he can’t solve the issues with his company.
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