Bobby Kotick, the controversial former CEO of Call of Duty publisher Activision-Blizzard, is entering a surprising new role. As film companies Warner Bros. and Paramount complete their massive $111 billion merger, a new board of directors is being appointed to lead the new parent company, Skydance. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kotick, alongside investor and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, will join the board.
As of yesterday, Paramount officially completed its takeover of Warner Bros. This has massive ramifications for the film and tv industry, but it affects video games as well – WB Games publishes the Batman: Arkham series, Hogwarts Legacy, TT Games’ Lego series, and Mortal Kombat, to name a few.
David Ellison, Skydance Chairman and CEO, released a statement alongside the announcement. With regards to Kotick, Ellison said the following:
Bobby led a global entertainment company through three decades of sustained growth, and he brings real perspective on building enduring franchises and connecting with fans. His record of pairing bold strategic moves with disciplined capital allocation is exactly the experience we need as we bring our businesses together. Tony has led at the highest levels of government, respected for his intellect, strategic vision and ability to bring people together around bold, forward-looking ideas. His global perspective and insight will be invaluable as we turn ambition into results.
Kotick was the head of Activision-Blizzard during the very public lawsuits alleging the company had fostered a toxic work culture rampant with sexual harassment. You can read about the details here, but be warned that some of the allegations are disturbing. While the case was ultimately settled in 2023 for $54 million (and with no admission of wrongdoing), employees’ negative feelings around the company’s management is well-documented, with thousands of employees signing an open letter demanding change and organizing a walkout in 2021. Kotick, in particular, was accused of dismissing harassment claims and allowing the behavior to continue. Despite that, Kotick led Activision-Blizzard until the end of 2023, when its acquisition by Microsoft was complete.
That Microsoft merger brought major Activision-Blizzard games to Game Pass, but it more notoriously led to thousands and thousands of layoffs, with the latest wave coming just last month, when Xbox handed the Halo series over to Activision. While there are no announcements just yet, it would not be surprising to see Paramount and Warner Bros. – including WB Games – facing similar fates in the coming years.
[Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
