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 stated he'd have paid to keep Riccitiello from ever leaving. This comment, made alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, was partly fueled by a fear of Gordon potentially taking the helm at EA.
Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial struggles and layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, was marked by controversial proposals, including suggesting Battlefield players pay per reload. He later served as CEO of Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst controversy surrounding installation fees. His time at Unity also included a public apology for his disparaging remarks about developers who resisted microtransactions.
Kotick, who oversaw Activision Blizzard's $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, revealed multiple attempted acquisitions of Activision Blizzard by EA. He admitted EA's business model often appeared stronger and more stable than Activision's.
Kotick's own leadership at Activision Blizzard, while financially successful, was also embroiled in controversy. Allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and inadequate responses to serious misconduct allegations surfaced. While Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews found these claims unsubstantiated, a $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023. The settlement noted that no court or independent investigation substantiated claims of widespread sexual harassment or improper board conduct regarding workplace misconduct.
The interview also saw Kotick criticizing the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."
