Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, recently slammed his counterpart at EA, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast appearance on Grit. This statement, made alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, who hinted Riccitiello's leadership contributed to his own departure, is surprising given Kotick's admission that EA's business model was, in many respects, superior to Activision's. Kotick even stated that Activision would have willingly paid to keep Riccitiello in the CEO position indefinitely. He clarified that this wasn't a personal attack against Gordon, but rather stemmed from a shared concern that Gordon might eventually lead EA.
Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial setbacks and significant layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, was marked by controversial proposals, including suggesting that Battlefield players pay per reload. He later served as CEO of Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst a controversy surrounding installation fees. His time at Unity also included several contentious incidents, notably an apology to developers for his disparaging remarks about those opposed to microtransactions.
Interestingly, Kotick, who oversaw Activision Blizzard's record-breaking $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, revealed that EA had made multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard. He acknowledged EA's business model as more robust and stable than Activision's.
While Kotick's leadership at Activision Blizzard resulted in significant financial success, his tenure was also plagued by controversy. Numerous employee complaints regarding sexism, a toxic work environment, and allegations of mishandling serious misconduct allegations surfaced. However, Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews found no evidence of widespread sexual harassment or improper board actions concerning workplace misconduct. A $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023, with the department stating that no court or independent investigation substantiated allegations of systemic sexual harassment or improper board conduct.
In the same interview, Kotick also criticized the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it one of the worst movies he'd ever seen.
