bobby kotick
NetEase and Blizzard ink deal to revive World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, and Diablo IV in China
(As of late tonight, Blizzard has officially confirmed the rumors. Our original post follows, and we've updated with the official news at the end.)
It's...
Massively Overthinking: The 2023 MMO trainwrecks (almost) nobody noticed
This might be one of the most important Massively Overthinkings we do all year, and it's a pretty salty one. We always come away...
Former Activision-Blizzard exec files lawsuit that alleges the studio fired him for being old and white
Discrimination can certainly take a wide assortment of forms, but the culture that has been fostered within Activision-Blizzard has mostly been one that threatens...
MassivelyOP’s Weirdest MMO Stories of 2023: Weirdest MMO celebrity insert
Today we're kicking off our traditional countdown of MassivelyOP's weirdest MMORPG stories of the year, that year being 2023!
Coming in at #5 on our...
Following Bobby Kotick’s exit, former ABK devs call out his toxic management and Overwatch 2 sabotage
Now that Bobby Kotick has floated away from Activision-Blizzard on a doubtlessly diamond-encrusted platinum parachute, some former developers at Blizzard are feeling confident enough...
Rumor: With Kotick gone, Blizzard and NetEase might repair year-long rift over China publishing
Readers likely remember that 2023 started off with a tire fire as Blizzard and NetEase had a particularly nasty dissolution of a licensing deal...
The best MassivelyOP community Daily Grinds of 2023
This traditional roundup of the best Daily Grinds of the year is actually one of my favorites because it demonstrates just how long we've...
Bobby Kotick finally departs Activision-Blizzard next week, but Microsoft will keep some of his execs
Bobby Kotick - a man who somehow hung onto his job even after The Wall Street Journal published the revelation that he'd threatened to...
Activision-Blizzard settles its 2021 California Civil Rights department lawsuit for $50M
Who here wanted one final reminder before the end of the year that we live in a cursed capitalist hellscape where justice can be...
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2024
It's time once again for the MOP staff and readers to engage in our favorite end-of-the-year MMO: collectively guessing what's going to happen next...
End-of-Year Eleven: The biggest MMO stories of 2023
Some years, it's hard to really cut a distinction between the biggest stories of a year and the biggest surprises. There can be a...
End-of-year Eleven: The healthiest live MMOs at the end of 2023
When it comes to making a judgment call about the "healthiest" MMORPGs on the market at any given time, there are always plenty of...
Microsoft’s Activision-Blizzard buyout is official, Kotick to stay through end of 2023
After nearly two years of drama, UK regulators have finally approved Microsoft's acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, and Microsoft announced the buyout is official this morning.
The...
Activision-Blizzard’s latest internal town hall meeting was bizarrely helmed by a celebrity host
We appreciate that making a company meeting interesting is a challenge, but we also have to curl an eyebrow upwards at the choice made...
Activision-Blizzard Q2 2023: Diablo IV doubled Blizzard’s revenues as MAUs continue decline
Activision-Blizzard has once again released its Q2 financials early as of this morning, but given the fact that this week was meant to be...
FTC uses Zenimax’s current exclusivity as a primary argument against Microsoft’s ActiBlizz buyout in court
The long-brewing legal battle between the US Federal Trade Commission and Microsoft has begun in earnest, as this week saw the FTC and Microsoft...
Activision-Blizzard shareholders vote down anti-union busting proposal
We hope you weren't holding your breath on Activision-Blizzard shareholders doing the right thing, but if you were, you can exhale now: Proposal 6,...
Activision-Blizzard shareholders propose a measure that guarantees non-interference with organizing workers
The shareholders of Activision-Blizzard are about to come together to vote on a variety of company proposals, and one of those proposals might raise...
Lawful Neutral: How might the so-called AI revolution affect the MMO genre?
This article has been rolling around in my head since ChatGPT rocketed into the public awareness a few months ago, and just in the...
Union pressure forces Activision-Blizzard to share details of workers’ union rights
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed unfair labor practice charges against Activision-Blizzard multiple times, but at least three of those ongoing ULPs...
