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 expressed a preference for Riccitiello's continued leadership at EA, stating they "would have paid for Riccitiello to stay a CEO forever." This statement, made alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, who hinted at Riccitiello's leadership contributing to his departure, highlights a surprising perspective on a rival company's executive.
Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial struggles and layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, included controversial proposals, such as suggesting Battlefield players pay to reload their weapons. He later led Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst controversy surrounding installation fees. His time at Unity also saw him apologize for his insensitive remarks about developers who opposed microtransactions.
Kotick revealed that EA made multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard. Despite recognizing EA's stronger business model, Kotick maintained his position at Activision Blizzard, ultimately presiding over its $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023.
Kotick's own leadership, while financially successful, was also marked by controversy. Allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and inadequate responses to serious misconduct allegations surfaced during his tenure. While Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews refuted claims of widespread sexual harassment and improper board actions, a $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023. The settlement concluded that no court or independent investigation substantiated allegations of systemic sexual harassment or improper board handling of misconduct.
In the same interview, Kotick also criticized the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."
