Activision/Activision Blizzard CEO of more than three decades, Bobby Kotick, has announced his departure from the company effective on December 29th this year, following its acquisition by Microsoft this year. It was known that the CEO would be stepping down from his role before the end of 2023, but it’s now dated and confirmed as a complete exit.
Microsoft has also confirmed the news along with a number of leadership changes, with Kotick not replaced but the remaining Activision Blizzard executive team now reporting to Microsoft’s games and content president, Matt Booty. A number of other Activision executives are also departing the company both in December and in March next year, leaving Activision Blizzard with something of a fresh management structure and hopefully outlook in the years ahead.
“For most of you, your day-to-day work will remain the same—it’s still business as usual in bringing more groundbreaking experiences to more players around the world,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer told employees in an email shared by The Verge, “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. We have an exciting 2024 lineup of games across Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, King and Xbox Game Studios, and I know that we all look forward to sharing more details with our player communities when the time is right.”
Kotick told Activision Blizzard employees in an internal email that also began with two paragraphs of him reminiscing about Atari 2600 text adventures, “Perhaps the most important part of my job has been to help bring talented people together, provide the best resources possible, and foster an environment that encourages inspiration, creativity, and unwavering commitment to excellence.”
“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.”
