Blizzard co-founder and former executive Mike Morhaime has broken his silence on the harrowing allegations levelled against Activision Blizzard, who has been sued by the state of California for discrimination, sexual harassment, and toxic work culture.
Morhaime penned his thoughts in a TwitLonger post, in which he admitted that he’s “ashamed” of the allegations, which were made after a lengthy, independent investigation by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. He further admitted to “failing” female employees, many of whom are still working in the industry and risked their careers to talk about their experiences.
Morhaime, who led Blizzard for nearly 30 years, acknowledged that harassment and discrimination exist in the industry and said that he feels like he didn’t do enough to “stamp out” toxicity and harassment. He added:
I realize that these are just words, but I wanted to acknowledge the women who had awful experiences. I hear you, I believe you, and I am so sorry to have let you down. I want to hear your stories, if you are willing to share them. As a leader in our industry, I can and will use my influence to help drive positive change and to combat misogyny, discrimination, and harassment wherever I can. I believe we can do better, and I believe the gaming industry can be a place where women and minorities are welcomed, included, supported, recognized, rewarded, and ultimately unimpeded from the opportunity to make the types of contributions that all of us join this industry to make. I want the mark I leave on this industry to be something that we can all be proud of.
While some former employees appreciated Morhaime’s mea culpa, others feel that it’s too little too late.
[Source: TwitLonger]