Bobby Kotick declines to comment on his future at Activision Blizzard

NME

Following the announcement that Microsoft has acquired Activision Blizzard, it appears that CEO Bobby Kotick may only continue running the company until the deal closes.

• READ MORE: What the hell has happened at Activision and why should you care?

According to Karen Weise, journalist at the New York Times, following her collaborative article on the purchase, Kotick has declined to comment on whether he will remain CEO following Microsoft’s takeover of the publisher. According to the original article, Kotick will remain in charge until the completion of the deal when the company will then report to Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

Just spoke with Bobby Kotick, Activision’s CEO, and he declined to say he will be CEO after the deal closes. "Post close I will be available as needed," he said@Kellen_Browning @andrewrsorkin and I will be updating our story here with that and more https://t.co/hXPqLGKAqV

— Karen Weise (@KYWeise) January 18, 2022

Kotick is quoted as saying “Post close I will be available as needed”, suggesting that he is unsure of his future position at the company. Activision Blizzard is currently in the midst of a sexual harassment lawsuit, where Kotick was allegedly a first-hand part of the culture, including the accusation that he threatened to kill his former assistant.

According to the NYTimes, Kotick organised the deal where Microsoft paid 45% above the stock price for the company and will remain in charge until the deal is complete.

“The transaction may be seen as a victory for Bobby Kotick, Activision’s longtime chief executive, whom some critics had sought to oust over the controversy. Mr. Kotick negotiated a big premium for investors — and he will continue running the company at least until the deal closes. The companies did not indicate if he will remain after but said the studio would report to Mr. Spencer.”

It is still unclear what the acquisition means for the future of the company but Spencer has announced that he wishes the developers at Activision Blizzard’s studios “feel safe, supported and engaged in every aspect of their work going forward.”

In other news, Voiceverse NFT, who recently partnered with Troy Baker, voice actor from numerous video games including The Last Of Us, Bioshock Infinite and the Far Cry series, has admitted to using voice lines without permission.

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