Activision Boss Slams EA's Ex-CEO

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently slammed his EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast appearance on Grit. While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's, Kotick stated he'd have paid to keep Riccitiello from leaving. This wasn't personal, he clarified, but rather stemmed from a fear that Bing Gordon, EA's former chief creative officer, might succeed Riccitiello.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial struggles and layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, was marked by controversial decisions, including a proposal to shareholders suggesting Battlefield players pay per reload. His later role as CEO of Unity Technologies (2014-2023) also ended amidst controversy surrounding installation fees and his infamous comment about developers who resisted microtransactions.

Kotick revealed that EA made multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard. He admitted EA's business model was, in many ways, stronger than Activision's.

Kotick's own leadership at Activision Blizzard, while financially successful, was also plagued by controversy. The company faced numerous allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and mishandling of serious misconduct claims. While Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews found these allegations unsubstantiated, a $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023. The settlement concluded that "no court or any independent investigation has substantiated any allegations that: there has been systemic or widespread sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard," or that Activision Blizzard's board of directors including Kotick "acted improperly with regard to the handling of any instances of workplace misconduct."

In the same interview, Kotick also criticized the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."