Activision Blizzard protest organiser leaving company Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Activision Blizzard protest organiser leaving company Slams Bobby Kotick for "inaction and refusal to take accountability". News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 9 Dec 2021 24 comments Jessica Gonzalez, a key figure in the recent employee action at Activision Blizzard, is leaving the company and quitting game development. Gonzalez announced her resignation yesterday, in a message in which she further criticised Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick and said his "inaction and refusal to take accountability" was "driving out great talent. "Products will suffer until you are removed from your position as CEO," she wrote. "This may seem harsh, but you had years to fix the culture and look at where the company currently stands." My resignation from Blizzard Entertainment pic.twitter.com/eJeTsYGFv8- Jessica Gonzalez Tactical Jess inbound ? (@_TechJess) November 30, 2021 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings In a Slack message which she subsequently shared publicly via Twitter, Gonzalez thanked colleagues for their support over the past months, and said she believed "with enough education and awareness", Activision Blizzard could still "be a great place" in the future. But her decision to leave now, she said, was part of her "putting my wellbeing first". Last month, Activision was the focus of a damning Wall St Journal report which detailed alleged sexual harassment, assault and inappropriate behaviour at the developer behind Call of Duty. It followed a stream of reports of a similarly toxic culture at sister studio Blizzard. Particular criticism was levelled towards Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, including claims of how much he knew, and suggestion he could have done more. The report's publication sent shockwaves through Activision Blizzard and around the games industry. Employees walked out and more than 1800 signed a petition demanding Kotick step down. PlayStation, Microsoft and Nintendo spoke out. But - for now - Kotick remains. In response to word of her resignation, several colleagues have publicly praised Gonzalez - who works as a senior test analyst - for her role in leading the recent employee action as part of the A Better ABK group. Speaking to Axios, Gonzalez's colleague Valentine Powell described her as a "pillar of culture" at the company, who had "been a constant voice for her whole time at ABK, pushing to see life get better for marginalised groups". @BlizzJess is one of the most dedicated, outspoken, and inspiring organizers I have ever worked with. When most of us were terrified of speaking up for fear of retaliation, she was on the front lines creating a space where employees felt heard and recognized.- Kate Anderson #BodilyAutonomyForAll (@RebelComicNerd) November 30, 2021 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings 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