Activision Blizzard has settled its lawsuit with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for £13.7million ($18million), though continues to be involved in several other unresolved lawsuits.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the EEOC in September 2021, which alleged that employees faced “severe or pervasive” sexual harassment within the company.
In the same month, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) objected to the settlement and claimed that it could cause “irreparable harm” to its own lawsuit with the studio, which alleges employees have suffered from “constant sexual harassment” and retaliation for filing complaints.
On the settlement, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick commented “Our goal is to make Activision Blizzard a model for the industry, and we will continue to focus on eliminating harassment and discrimination from our workplace.”
“The court’s approval of this settlement is an important step in ensuring that our employees have mechanisms for recourse if they experienced any form of harassment or retaliation,” added Kotick – who is alleged to have known about the company’s issues with sexual misconduct for years, though says the claims paint an “inaccurate and misleading” picture.
Activision Blizzard employees who worked at the company between September 1, 2016 and the present day can file a claim to receive part of the settlement.
Despite settling with the EEOC, Activision Blizzard remains embroiled in several more lawsuits, including the one filed by the DFEH.
A lawsuit filed by Communications Workers of America (CWA) on behalf of Activision Blizzard employees is also ongoing, which alleges the company used “coercive tactics” to undermine unionisation efforts.
In August 2021, Activision Blizzard was sued by an investor over claims that shareholders were “economically damaged” by the company allegedly making “materially false and/or misleading statements” that downplayed issues with sexual harassment.
This month, another lawsuit from an anonymous employee was filed, alleging that the employee was sexually harassed and suffered retaliation for talking about her experience.
Finally, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s investigation into Activision Blizzard continues.
In other gaming news, Nintendo’s sequel to The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild has been delayed.
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