Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently slammed his EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast appearance on Grit. While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's, Kotick expressed a preference for Riccitiello's continued absence from leadership. He even jokingly stated that Activision would have paid to keep Riccitiello in the CEO role indefinitely. This comment, made alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, who hinted at Riccitiello's leadership contributing to his own departure, highlights a significant industry rivalry.
Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial difficulties and layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, was punctuated by controversial decisions, including a suggestion to shareholders about charging players for reloading in-game weapons. Later, as CEO of Unity Technologies (2014-2023), he faced further controversy, notably apologizing for his insensitive remarks about developers who opposed microtransactions.
Kotick revealed that EA made multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard, further underscoring the competitive landscape. He admitted that EA's business model was, in many respects, superior to Activision's, citing its greater stability.
Kotick's own leadership at Activision Blizzard, while financially successful, was also embroiled in controversy. Allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and mishandling of serious misconduct claims surfaced. While Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews found these allegations unsubstantiated, a $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023. The settlement concluded that no court or independent investigation substantiated claims of widespread sexual harassment or improper board actions regarding workplace misconduct.
The interview also saw Kotick express his negative opinion of Universal's 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it one of the worst movies he'd ever seen.
