In the wake of the ongoing crisis at Activision Blizzard, staff and contractors at the company are calling for the removal of CEO Bobby Kotick.
The employees have signed a petition, which currently stands at at over 1,300 signatures.
“We, the undersigned, no longer have confidence in the leadership of Bobby Kotick as the CEO of Activision Blizzard,” reads the petition. “The information that has come to light about his behaviours and practices in the running of our companies runs counter to the culture and integrity we require of our leadership–and directly conflicts with the initiatives started by our peers.
“We ask that Bobby Kotick remove himself as CEO of Activision Blizzard, and that shareholders be allowed to select the new CEO without the input of Bobby, who we are aware owns a substantial portion of the voting rights of the shareholders.”
The petition was started the ABK Workers Alliance, who staged a walkout earlier this week after reports emerged that Bobby Kotick has known about abuse at the company for years.
“Under Bobby Kotick’s leadership the company has been accused of mistreatment, sexual harassment, rape, and a death threat made by Kotick himself,” said the group. “The board is just as complicit if they let this slide. It’s past time for Bobby to step down.”
The petition comes as Activision Blizzard faces criticism from across the industry. Xbox head Phil Spencer has stated that Xbox is “evaluating” its relationship with the company, while PlayStation’s Jim Ryan stated that Activision Blizzard “has not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment.”
