World of Warcraft attempts to diversify its player council as Microsoft prioritizes Activision-Blizzard corporate culture

    
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An eye to be kept.

The player council for World of Warcraft has already been formed and provided feedback, but Blizzard has made it clear that the initial lineup was not the extent of what it had planned for the group. A new post on the official forum confirms that more players have been brought into the council with a goal of diversifying the pool of feedback received and providing a more comprehensive look at different playstyles within the game. While the success of this venture remains entirely a matter of debate, the same announcement promises more invites will be rolled out over time.

Meanwhile, a recent interview with Microsoft president Brad Smith shared some new information about how Microsoft is looking at the extant problems of harassment within Activision-Blizzard, with Smith outright saying that Microsoft wants the company to make its cultural issues and the reformation of same a primary focus:

We’re looking to the leadership team at Activision Blizzard today to make culture and workplace safety a top priority, every single day until the day when this deal hopefully closes, and then we’ll take over, and we need to make that same commitment.

Smith declined to offer more insight regarding the future leadership team or the ultimate fate of Bobby Kotick in the wake of the merger, so it remains to be seen how much scrutiny is being placed on the current CEO’s behavior in the first place.

Activision-Blizzard is considered a controversial gaming company owing to a long string of scandals over the last few years, including the Blitzchung boycott, mass layoffs, labor disputes, and executive pay fiasco. In 2021, the company was sued by California for fostering a work environment rife with sexual harassment and discrimination, the disastrous corporate response to which compounded Blizzard’s ongoing pipeline issues and the widespread perception that its online games are in decline. Multiple state and federal agencies are investigating the company as employees strike and call for Bobby Kotick’s resignation. As of 2022, the company is being acquired by no less than Microsoft.
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