Blizzard's Jessica Gonzalez Resigns, Addresses Bobby Kotick for Refusing Accountability

Employees at Activision Blizzard are still standing their ground and demanding changes, including leadership changes and removal of CEO Bobby Kotick. Today, senior test analyst Jessica Gonzalez announced that she has resigned from Blizzard and accepted a better opportunity outside game development entirely. 

In her resignation statement, she posted regrets that she couldn’t have met her colleagues under better circumstances but speaks positively about “our shared vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and workers rights with me and value the work that we’ve done during my time here“. These remarks come at a time when things remain tense, as Activision Blizzard stands by Bobby Kotick after the release of an investigative article by the Wall Street Journal alleging that he knew about various abuses at the company and even committed some of them, which was followed by greater calls for him to go. 

She re-emphasized that there’s still a lot of work to do to make Activision Blizzard a better company and that the road for a change continues to be exhausting for so many. She tagged and directly addresses Kotick in her resignation, saying,  “Your inaction and refusal to take accountability is driving out great talent and the products will suffer until you are removed from your position as CEO. This may seem harsh but you had years to fix the culture and look at where the company currently stands”. She signed her letter off with “Every Voice Matters”, and her post was shared by the A Better ABK organization representing workers who want better conditions at the company. 

Things have been relatively quiet over the past week or so, with the company having granted a week off for Thanksgiving instead of just a few days, a move that some criticized as further trying to tamp down on the accusations and move on.