Activision Blizzard Walkout Organizer Resigns to Prioritize Wellbeing

Jessica Gonzalez, a senior test analyst at Blizzard and organizer of the Activision Blizzard walkout, has resigned from the company in order to focus on her wellbeing. Gonzalez has been a vocal critic of the culture at Activision Blizzard sine the California lawsuit against the company earlier this year; she has been a central figure in the organization efforts of the A Better ABK employee coalition. Gonzalez announced her departure via Twitter, revealing that she will officially leave the company on December 10, 2021. In the announcement post, Gonzalez reveals that she will be leaving game development entirely in order to put her wellbeing first.

Gonzalez didn’t mince words when it came to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, either. The senior test analyst called out Kotick publicly in their Slack announcement, stating that his “inaction and refusal to take accountability” was driving out the company’s talent. Going a step further, Gonzalez stated that Kotick “had years to fix the culture and look at where the company currently stands.” This follows recent news that Bobby Kotick knew about allegations of sexual misconduct years before the reports came out.

She also had a few heartfelt words for her fellow workers, stating that she regrets that she “couldn’t meet [her] colleagues under better circumstances.” However, she also urged her coworkers to continue the fight for equality:

Don’t forget what so many passionate developers worked hard towards and continue to work towards in my absence. Let your passion and the passion of those around you drive the spark that ignites meaningful change. I believe in the good people in this company and can’t wait to see where you all can take it.

The organizer has been a central figure in pushing for better diversity, workers’ rights, and equity at Activision Blizzard King. In addition to organizing worker walkouts, Gonzalez has been vocally outspoken towards the company’s anti-organizing efforts. One such example had Activision recruiters telling employees to stop talking about the company’s problems as it was scaring away candidates.

Activision Blizzard has also been accused of labor law violations and actively hindering investigations by destroying important documents. While the board of directors has rallied behind Bobby Kotick, other major game industry leaders such as Sony’s Jim Ryan, Xbox head Phil Spencer, and Nintendo boss Doug Bowser have called into question the integrity of Activision’s leadership.

[Source: Axios]