Activision-Blizzard’s general issues with diversity and representation have prompted a number of changes within its corporate structure, and one of those is the company’s ongoing reports and dispatches about corporate diversity. The company has just released its 2022 YTD report, which shows that compared to the company’s 2021 data the number of women and nonbinary people at the company has increased by 2% and the number of people belonging to “underrepresented ethnic groups” (their particular term for groups usually termed as people of color) has also increased by 2%. That’s at the aggregate level; individual subdivisions have different numbers, all of which are tracked on the actual PDF.
The footnote on the chart notes that the data is presented in comparison to 2021’s data, with further information on the report explaining that the 2021 report did not separately track nonbinary individuals while stating that nonbinary people made up less than one percent of the total figure. The report also has a full breakdown of the self-identification options available for both gender and ethnic identity, with a note that those who declined self-identification were excluded from totals and percentages. You can make your own determination as to the company’s claim that its figures are “significant.”
It’s also very important to note that earlier this year Activision-Blizzard specifically hired over 1,000 QA testers, classifying them as full-time employees and doubtlessly altering the final balance for its distribution. All of this is worth keeping in the back of your mind as you look at the overall data and the comparisons; while the numbers have gone up, some skepticism is advisable.
