Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, recently slammed his ex-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 gladly paid to keep Riccitiello in the CEO role indefinitely. This, he clarified, wasn't a personal attack spurred by the presence of former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, who also participated in the podcast and alluded to Riccitiello's leadership contributing to his own departure. Kotick's apprehension stemmed from the possibility of Gordon taking the reins at EA.
Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial difficulties and layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, was marked by controversial decisions, including a suggestion to shareholders that Battlefield players pay per reload. He later served as CEO of Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst controversy surrounding installation fees. Further fueling the controversy, Riccitiello previously apologized for disparaging developers who resisted microtransactions.
Interestingly, Kotick revealed EA's multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard, stating that EA's business model was, in many ways, superior to Activision's.
Kotick's own leadership at Activision Blizzard, culminating in Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition in 2023, was also marked by controversy, including allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and mishandling of serious misconduct allegations. While Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews found these allegations unsubstantiated, 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 claims of widespread sexual harassment or improper board handling of workplace misconduct.
The interview also included Kotick's candid assessment of the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."
