Latest Activision Blizzard legal twist sees California's $18m settlement objection questioned Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Latest Activision Blizzard legal twist sees California's $18m settlement objection questioned With potential impact to original lawsuit. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 12 Oct 2021 12 comments A new twist in the ongoing and increasingly messy legal situation surrounding Activision Blizzard appears to have left California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing on the back foot (thanks, PC Gamer). The California DFEH is, you may recall, the state department which filed the original complaint against Activision Blizzard for running a studio allegedly rife with sexual discrimination, harassment and a "frat boy" culture. Last week, the DFEH objected to a $18m settlement between Activision Blizzard and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), essentially saying the agreement impacted its own efforts for justice and risked letting Activision Blizzard off the hook. Now, the EEOC has hit back at the DFEH's objection - and says it has uncovered something which could undermine not just the DFEH's objection but potentially its whole legal argument against Activision Blizzard. Still with us? Good. The EEOC says the DFEH's case was led - until very recently - by two of its own former lawyers. That would make the DFEH's objection a conflict of interest and a potential legal issue regarding those attorney's conduct. In response, the DFEH has replaced those two lawyers, effectively confirming it slipped up, but the EEOC says doing so after the fact could still leave the DFEH's entire case liable to be ruled void. Holy crap. I said that CA was apparently upset about the EEOC, but it may be much worse than that. Whole thread is worth reading, but the EEOC is alleging (see link) that the DFEH investigation is headed by former EEOC attorneys…who worked on that agency's Activision case. https://t.co/zM6jDRfrVi- Richard Hoeg (@HoegLaw) October 9, 2021 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Video game lawyer Richard Hoeg, host of the Virtual Legality podcast, wrote that "this is a pretty massive thing, and if true would call into question large portions of the DFEH process (certainly as against the EEOC directly). "It might even provide Activision with its own defense to the original suit. Stay tuned." While we only heard of the EEOC investigation last month, recently-released court documents now show the commission was investigating Activision Blizzard from as early as September 2018, predating the DFEH's legal action. And while these two fight it out, Activision Blizzard faces other action. The company recently acknowleged it was also being investigated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Finally, there's also the charge filed by Activision Blizzard employees, which accuses the company of using "coercive tactics" to prevent organisational efforts to improve working conditions. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store