Bobby Kotick, the longtime CEO of embattled game giant Activision Blizzard, has apologized to staff over the company’s handling of claims of sexual harassment and discrimination. “People were deeply let down and, for that, I am truly sorry,” he wrote in a public letter.
Kotick used the letter to outline changes at the company in the wake of the scandal, including a new zero-tolerance harassment policy and a pledge to increase the percentage of women and non-binary staff by 50% over five years. The company will spend $250 million over the coming decade to create employment opportunities for diverse talent. Progress on these and other initiatives will be reported quarterly.
The company will also end mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment and discrimination claims, which was stopping employees from taking conflicts directly to court. Removing this policy was a key demand from staff who protested in recent months.