Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation chief Jim Ryan criticized Activision Blizzard Inc. Wednesday for the game publisher’s inadequate response to an explosive news article alleging that CEO Bobby Kotick was aware of sexual misconduct and harassment allegations for years and that he had also mistreated women.
In an email to employees reviewed by Bloomberg, Ryan linked to the Wall Street Journal’s Tuesday report. He wrote that he and his leadership were “disheartened and frankly stunned to read” that Activision “has not done enough to address a deep-seated culture of discrimination and harassment.”
“We outreached to Activision immediately after the article was published to express our deep concern and to ask how they plan to address the claims made in the article,” he wrote. “We do not believe their statements of response properly address the situation.”
As one of the video game industry’s biggest console manufacturers, PlayStation has long had a close relationship with Activision, which produces hits like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.
Activision Blizzard employees walked out Tuesday and called for Kotick’s resignation. The board issued a statement standing by Kotick.
