Blizzard Recruiters Made Inappropriate Remarks Toward Hacker In 2015

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Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.

Content Warning: The following article and links contain references to rape, suicide, verbal abuse, sexual assault, and harassment.

Information has recently surfaced about Blizzard recruiters making inappropriate remarks toward a security researcher at the 2015 Black Hat cybersecurity conference. After the Activision Blizzard lawsuit was officially filed in California, more evidence has come out against the company, bringing to light a long history of alleged discrimination.

The lawsuit was filed on July 2oth, and since that time attention has been directed both toward Activision Blizzard's internal workings and its actions abroad. Earlier this week, controversy arose surrounding the "BlizzCon Cosby Crew," a group of Blizzard directors and leads accused of inappropriate misconduct at the 2013 BlizzCon event. The "Cosby Suite" was the nickname for former director Alex Afrasiabi's hotel room during the event, named as such after sexual abuse allegations towards Bill Cosby became public. Lead level designer for World of Warcraft Jesse McCree, after whom the Overwatch character McCree was named, was reportedly a part of said "Cosby Crew."

As reported by Vice, that inappropriate conduct was not only limited to events Blizzard hosted, as hacker Emily Mitchell shared her story about being harassed at the Black Hat 2015 Blizzard recruiting booth. Upon approaching the Blizzard booth to inquire about potential employment, Mitchell was at first dismissed by Blizzard employees who asked if she was lost. She was then met with misogynistic comments which turned to direct sexual harassment. Mitchell described herself as furious and feeling humiliated following the interaction. Two years afterward, Blizzard would ask to hire the company Sagitta HPC, now known as Terahash. Mitchell was employed there as Chief Operating Officer at the time, and Blizzard's request prompted her to share her story with her colleagues. The CEO of Sagitta HPC responded that Blizzard could work with them after paying a "50% misogyny tax," among other requests stemming from the hacker's negative experience at the 2015 conference. That experience also led Black Hat organizers to decline sponsorship and further partnership with Blizzard in the future.

This past week, Activision Blizzard employees have signed an open letter in support of the ongoing lawsuit, and work at the company has come to a near standstill in its wake. Workers at Ubisoft followed suit with a similarly supportive letter. On Wednesday, Activision Blizzard employees staged a walkout in protest of company leadership. The company has recently hired the firm WilmerHale to audit its HR department, known for its work with union-busting.

CEO Bobby Kotick shared his response to the lawsuit and internal statements made by Activision Blizzard, calling their initial response to the suit tone-deaf and making claims toward change at the company. Walkout organizers replied that they appreciated recognition of their efforts. However, they also stated that Kotick still failed to address many of his worker's needs, ensuring their workplace safety, and securing equitable conditions for everyone at Activision Blizzard. In particular—regarding the hiring of WilmerHale—organizers have asked for employees to have the power to hire parties that audit company processes.

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