Bobby Kotick has confirmed that he will step down from his role as CEO of Activision Blizzard on December 29 with no immediate replacement.
Just days after the Activision acquisition Blizzard belong to Xbox for $69 billion completed in October, it has been confirmed that the company’s CEO (Kotick), will step down at some point before the end of the year. An internal memo sent to employees confirmed this but did not give a specific date.
It’s been several months since information about Kotick’s resignation was shared and soon, on December 29, it will officially become a reality. The news was first reported by The Verge, which confirmed that a direct replacement for Kotick has been hired and that some Activision Blizzard executives, such as Blizzard president Mike Ybarra, will be kept on. job at Xbox.
This news was confirmed by Kotick himself in a post on the Activision Blizzard newsroom, which began by mentioning “extraordinary people” before reviewing his time at Activision. The statement ended with praise Phil Spencerwhen Kotick noted to the staff that they “couldn’t have been taken over by someone better”.
“Phil Spencer has appreciated the magic of ABK for decades. When he approached Brian (Bulatao) and I two years ago and proposed buying the company, it was immediately clear that the combination of Our business will help us both continue to stay ahead as more and more competitors with better capabilities and resources emerge..”
Alongside Kotick’s post about his departure, Xbox head Phil Spencer also released an internal memo to employees that was shared by The Verge. Unsurprisingly, it said nothing about some of the controversial allegations made against Kotick over the past few years, instead praising and thanking Activision Blizzard’s CEO for his work at the company, before announcing the above personnel changes.
Spencer said: “Under Bobby’s watch, Activision Blizzard in its many incarnations has become an enduring mainstay of the gaming industry. Whether it’s Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush Saga or any other title, the team created beloved franchises and have entertained hundreds of millions of players for decades. I want to thank Bobby – for his invaluable contributions to the industry, his collaboration with him on the acquisition of Activision Blizzard and his partnership post-closing – and I wish Bobby and his family the best in the next chapter of their lives.”
