Activision Blizzard finds ‘no evidence’ of widespread misconduct at the company

Gaming giant Activision Blizzard said this week that after conducting an investigation, they found no proof of systemic gender-based misconduct at the company. Additionally, it also found no evidence of Activision Blizzard management purposely ignoring or attempting ‘to downplay’ instances of harassment at the company at the time it happened.

On Thursday, June 16, Activision’s board of directors shared the conclusions in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing begins by stating that the ‘allegations in media and legal filings’ about Activision were as ‘distressing’ to them as anyone else. Additionally, it obliquely acknowledges the incidents of workplace misconduct taking place in the company. However, it states, that isolated incidents ‘does not necessarily’ represent the larger picture, pointing at how they had taken ‘progressively stronger, more decisive and coordinated steps’ such as leadership changes.

Moreover, it stated criticisms of the executives by the media turned out to be ‘without merit.’ It added how though ‘there are some substantiated instances of gender harassment,’ there is no proof that discrimination, harassment, or retaliation were ever a ‘systemic’ problem at the company.

And yet, the company says that “contrary to many of the allegations,” there is “no evidence to suggest that Activision Blizzard senior executives ever intentionally ignored or attempted to downplay the instances of gender harassment that occurred and were reported.”