- Following the announcement that Microsoft will officially acquire Activision Blizzard, CEO Bobby Kotick will step down at the end of 2023.
- The CEO’s tenure began in 1991 and he has been no stranger to all manner of controversies.
- Kotick will report to Xbox head Phil Spencer until he leaves the firm.
Chief executive officer at Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick will remain at the firm for the rest of the year, but when the calendar flips, Kotick won’t be the CEO anymore.
This news came by way of a memo sent to employees in which Kotick himself announced that he and Xbox head, Phil Spencer had agreed that Kotick should stay on to help guide the transition as Microsoft takes over the Activision Blizzard brand.
“Phil has asked me to stay on as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we have agreed that I will do that through the end of 2023. We both look forward to working together on a smooth integration for our teams and players,” Kotick wrote.
The CEO has been a controversial figure in the gaming sector for many years. In 2019, under Kotick’s leadership, Activision Blizzard fired 775 employees after stating “our financial results for 2018 were the best in our history”. Kotick was also at the centre of a recent controversy where the developer/publisher was described as fostering a “frat boy” culture.
However, despite every controversy, every image with devil horns Photoshopped onto his face, Kotick survived, much like he has since joining the firm in 1991.
In his memo, Kotick waxed lyrically about the numerous successes at Activision Blizzard.
What Kotick does next is unclear but with 32 years under his belt at one of the biggest videogame developers and publishers in the sector, Kotick can afford to be picky about where he goes next. Whether that be games, big tech or even a competitor such as EA or Ubisoft.
During the transition, Kotick will report to Spencer to help the transition phase as the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft is finalised according to Polygon.
