Employees at Activision Blizzard held a walkout for equality

This story about rising up, boiled down, in 1:20 minutes.

What's the fuss?

In the wake of the workplace discrimination lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, the company's employees staged a walkout to protest against the injustices that have plagued the workforce. 

The situation

Since the formal announcement of the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the company released their own statement denouncing the grounds of the lawsuit. 

• Employees have detested this response, putting together a petition with over 2,600 signors, labelling the statement "abhorrent and insulting" and calling for the resignation of the executive who penned it. 
• In addition, Blizzard's co-founder (who left the company in 2019) issued his own apology, however it is unknown the extent misconduct that occurred under his leadership.

An assembly of employees held a "Walkout for Equality", virtually and in-person, to convey their values to leadership. 

• Organizers of the walkout said they're asking management to work with them to develop new recruiting practices, publish employee pay rates, adopt third-party audits, and bring an end to mandatory arbitration clauses that protects abusers. 
• Fans, streamers, former employees, and other developers are supporting the walkout using the hashtag #ActiBlizzWalkout online.

Boiling it down

A mass walkout of disgruntled employee is a big deal, especially when the game development industry in North America is non-unionized. 

• This walkout emulates a similar initiative in 2019 relating to another major North America game developer over sexual harassment and pay disparities.
• Employees are willing to put their jobs on the line to fight for better working conditions as well as to pressure the top brass to fulfill empty promises and half measures.

The latest World of Warcraft expansion from Activision Blizzard was received poorly by fans - and now we may know why. 

• Employees who are under extreme duress, especially under threat of being terminated, tends to produce poor work deliverables.

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