In the summer of 2021, Activision-Blizzard made headlines when the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a civil rights and equal pay lawsuit against the company on behalf of its victimized employees. The ensuing weeks saw a flow of leaked memos, terrible decisions, toppled executives, and crafty apologies that alternately denied, skirted, deflected, and atoned for the allegations. Dozens of employees have since come forward publicly and courageously as victims and witnesses to implicate the very leaders seeking absolution, and players once again had to consider a boycott just as Blizzard’s games, finances, and pipeline were already under fire.
We’ve rounded up our complete coverage of the incident and ensuing response from the community, including news articles and our own opinion pieces on the subject.
September 23, 2021: WoW Factor: World of Warcraft replacing sexualized artwork misses the point
September 21, 2021: Activision-Blizzard is now being investigated by four state and federal regulators as its top legal VP departs
September 21, 2021: The Daily Grind: Is Blizzard right to ‘desexualize’ art in World of Warcraft?
September 20, 2021: The feds are now investigating Activision-Blizzard as the SEC subpoenas execs including Bobby Kotick
September 14, 2021: World of Warcraft promotes Overlords of Outland and Shadowlands 9.1.5 as labor organizers take the fight to Activision-Blizzard
September 2, 2021: World of Warcraft removes references to former employees and removes the AoE cap in patch 9.1.5
September 1, 2021: Blizzard’s Mike Ybarra clarifies that Ion Hazzikostas is still running World of Warcraft
August 31, 2021: Blizzard offers piles of Hearthstone and World of Warcraft loot to boost subs
August 27, 2021: Overwatch’s McCree isn’t the only Blizzard character getting a rename
August 26, 2021: Blizzard is changing the name of Overwatch’s character McCree
August 24, 2021: California lawsuit now alleges Activision-Blizzard HR literally ‘shredded’ evidence
August 13, 2021: Overwatch League loses more sponsors as workers expose Activision-Blizzard’s toxic culture
August 12, 2021: WoW Factor: What do changes in Blizzard management mean for World of Warcraft?
August 11, 2021: Blizzard apparently ousted three more key devs, including Diablo IV’s game director
August 11, 2021: Activision-Blizzard shareholder group blasts response to scandal, demands board reshuffle
August 10, 2021: Blizzard workers address the drawbacks of boycotts, gamers lament WoW’s deep decline
August 8, 2021: Diablo community manager recounts low pay, a sexually threatening culture, and mistreatment at Blizzard
August 7, 2021: Activision-Blizzard: Frances Townsend steps down from one studio post, Jeff Kurtenacker departs
August 6, 2021: New exposé reveals still more layers of sexual harassment and discrimination at Blizzard
August 6, 2021: Activision-Blizzard sexism scandal day 17: More esports sponsors consider abandoning Overwatch League
August 4, 2021: Vague Patch Notes: Blizzard may live on, but it will never be Blizzard again
August 3, 2021: Activision-Blizzard Day 14: Brack and Meschuk exits, fraud lawsuit, proto-union, and Q2 financials
August 3, 2021: Q2 2021: Activision revenues are up, Blizzard MAUs are down amid sexism scandal
August 3, 2021: The gamer in the infamous BlizzCon video says she ‘dodged a bullet’ by not working at Blizzard
August 3, 2021: Blizzard’s J. Allen Brack is stepping down ahead of today’s investor call
August 1, 2021: Former ArenaNet co-founder Jeff Strain calls for game dev unionization
July 30, 2021: An Activision-Blizzard worker was arrested for bathroom peeping in 2018
July 30, 2021: Massively Overthinking: Has Blizzard’s sexism lawsuit changed your gaming plans?
July 29, 2021: WoW Factor: Why does this latest Blizzard scandal feel so different?
July 29, 2021: Blizzard Day 9: Ubisoft stands in solidarity, Ashes of Creation buys Blizzard workers lunch
July 28, 2021: Activision-Blizzard walkout organizers respond to Kotick, Kotaku exposes ‘Cosby suite’ attendees
July 27, 2021: Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick: ‘The leadership team has heard you loud and clear’
July 27, 2021: Massively OP Podcast Episode 332: Does every voice really matter at Blizzard?
July 27, 2021: Blizzard workers plan walkout over sexism scandal, WoW team addresses playerbase
July 27, 2021: Casually Classic: Making the call to quit WoW or not
July 26, 2021: Blizzard’s sexism scandal continues, 2500 devs sign letter condemning Acti-Blizz response
July 25, 2021: MMO Week in Review: RIP to the Blizzard you thought you knew
July 25, 2021: Chris Metzen offers apology for Blizzard’s culture of ‘harassment, inequality, and indifference’
July 24, 2021: Mike Morhaime to female Blizzard workers: ‘I am extremely sorry that I failed you’
July 23, 2021: WoW Factor: No king rules forever
July 23, 2021: J Allen Brack addresses Blizzard staff over sexism scandal, Activision doubles down on deflection
July 22, 2021: ‘We do not serve Activision Blizzard’: Furious WoW players stage protest against Blizzard
July 21, 2021: California sues Activision-Blizzard over discrimination and sexist, toxic work culture
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No headlines since the 13th? They must have fixed everything then, right? *cough*
They saw this post and did a “hold my beer” moment.