The company known for making some of the most popular games this century, like "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft," is now being struck with accusations of discrimination and harassment.
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The Santa Monica-based company, Activision Blizzard, has received backlash from within and against the company that has led to a lawsuit being filed by California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing, CNN reported.
The lawsuit compared the company's culture to a "frat boy," saying that multiple female employees were subjected to gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and unequal pay.
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It went on to say that "the company's executives and human resources personnel knew of the harassment and failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the unlawful conduct, and instead retaliated against women who complained."
Now amidst the controversy, it was announced to employees on Tuesday morning by Activision Blizzard Chief Operating Officer Daniel Alerge that J. Allen Brack, the president of the company's Blizzard Entertainment studio, would be leaving his position.
Many are now saying that what happens in the lawsuit will carry a ripple effect throughout the rest of the tech industry.
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Following the lawsuit, several former Activision Blizzard employees started to go on social media and share their experiences.
Groups of employees have walked out and protested outside the building and even called for full unionization of the company's workforce.
The lawsuit has also led to the tanking of the company's stock.
Currently, the company is attempting to claim the suit is inaccurate and does not accurately depict the company. This has resulted in more than 2,000 current and former workers signing a petition slamming the response as "abhorrent and insulting."
Long-time CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, attempted to get the heat off his company by sending a note to his employees last week. The memo admitted that the initial response was "tone deaf" and that an outside law firm would be hired to go through the claims.
Even still, employees continued to protest the company, with dozens walking out in the middle of their work. With the walkout came calls for greater pay transparency and an end to mandatory arbitration.
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