Despite having his days numbered, it was finally confirmed that Bobby Kotick will leave his role as CEO of Activision Blizzard on December 29, according to The Verge.
It is not surprising to hear about the departure of Kotick from Activision Blizzard as it was already determined by the current Microsoft leadership a few months ago. According to a Jason Schrier report back in October, Kotick, who is the soon-to-be former CEO of Activision Blizzard, was originally set to leave his role at the beginning of 2024.
Following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, the company's controversial CEO, departure was inevitable. His remaining time in the company was simply focused on ensuring a smooth transition of leadership.
On December 20, Bobby Kotick shared an email to employees thanking them for their hard work during his tenure at the company, which lasted over 32 years.
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.
We are now part of the world’s most admired company. That isn’t an accident. Phil Spencer has appreciated the magic of ABK for decades. When he approached Brian and me two years ago and proposed acquiring the company, it was immediately obvious that the combination of our businesses would enable us to continue to lead as the list of capable, well-resourced competitors grows.
Kotick will not be directly replaced, instead, Microsoft will be consolidating Activision Blizzard, fully making it a part of Microsoft Gaming. Activision Blizzard vice chairman Thomas Tippl, Activision president Rob Kostich, and Blizzard president Mike Ybarra will now report directly to Matt Booty, newly appointed Microsoft's president of Game Content and Studios.
Along with Kotick, two other executives are also stepping down from their roles within Activision Blizzard. According to The Verge, Humam Sakhnini, the vice chairman of Blizzard and King, and Lulu Meservey, the vice president of corporate affairs and chief communications officer of Activision Blizzard, will also be leaving their positions as late as January.
The departure of Kotick is the first step towards a new version of Activision Blizzard under the Xbox banner. Hopefully, they will leave all controversies behind them this time.
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