Bobby Kotick is officially leaving Activision Blizzard on Dec. 29, after more than three decades as CEO of the gaming giant, following Microsoft’s $69 billion takeover of the company. With his exit, Microsoft Gaming has appointed Matt Booty, president of game content and studios, to oversee the Activision Blizzard teams.
Now reporting into Booty, a 23-year Microsoft veteran, are: Thomas Tippl, vice chairman, Activision Blizzard; Rob Kostich, president, Activision Publishing; Mike Ybarra, president, Blizzard Entertainment; and King president Tjodolf Sommestad.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced Booty’s appointment and other management changes in a memo to staff Wednesday. Activision Blizzard confirmed news, first reported by the Verge. Per Spencer, the execs leading Activision Publishing, Blizzard and King will remain in place, with “no changes to the structure of how the studios and business units are run.”
“At the leadership level, these changes will provide the clarity and accountability that is necessary to achieve our ambitious goals and foster a culture that is welcoming, empowering and committed to Gaming for Everyone,” Spencer wrote.
In addition to Kotick, two senior Activision Blizzard execs are leaving: Humam Sakhnini, vice chairman of Blizzard and King, will depart at the end of December; and Lulu Cheng Meservey, Activision Blizzard EVP of corporate affairs and chief communications officer, will exit at the end of January.
Kotick’s plan to depart Activision Blizzard at the end of 2023 was previously disclosed. In the memo Wednesday, Spencer thanked Kotick “for his invaluable contributions to this industry, his partnership in closing the Activision Blizzard acquisition and his collaboration following the close.”
“Under Bobby’s watch, Activision Blizzard in its many incarnations has been an enduring pillar of video games,” Spencer wrote. “Whether it’s ‘Call of Duty,’ ‘World of Warcraft,’ ‘Candy Crush Saga’ or any number of other titles, his teams have created beloved franchises and entertained hundreds of millions of players for decades.”
In a farewell note Wednesday to Activision Blizzard employees, Kotick wrote, that “as my last day leading this company inches closer, I marvel at how far the talented people at our company have come toward realizing the great potential of games. You have transformed a hobbyist form of entertainment into the world’s most engaging medium… I cannot adequately express the pride I have in the people who continue to contribute to our success and all those who have helped throughout my 32 years leading this company.”
On Dec. 15, California’s Civil Rights Department announced that Activision Blizzard will pay $54.9 million to settle a lawsuit alleging a pattern of pay and promotion practices that discriminated against women. Under the settlement, CRD dropped allegations from its initial lawsuit filed in 2021that claimed Activision Blizzard had a widespread culture of systemic harassment and a “pervasive frat-boy workplace.” The agency acknowledged that no court or independent investigation substantiated allegations that Activision Blizzard’s board, including Kotick, “acted improperly with regard to the handling of any instances of workplace misconduct.”
