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Activision Blizzard has reached a settlement with a regulator from the state of California in a case revolving around workplace harassment.
The game publisher is settling for roughly $50 million, as reported by Reuters, which has reviewed the settlement agreement. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing had filed a lawsuit against the company in 2021 over allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. Women were reportedly systematically marginalized and had no opportunity for promotion. There was said to be a culture of sexual harassment within the organization. The DFEH referred to a macho culture within the company.
The regulator conducted a two-year investigation into the publisher.
The settlement agreement also stipulates that Activision Blizzard must take steps to ensure fair rewards and promotion opportunities for women. Women who worked for the company between October 12, 2015, and December 31, 2020, are entitled to financial compensation.
“In the settlement agreement, the CRD expressly acknowledged that ‘no court or independent investigation has substantiated any allegations that there has been systemic or widespread sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard’,” Activision Blizzard said in a statement on Friday.
The company also mentioned that investigations didn’t find any proof that its board or CEO did something wrong when dealing with workplace misconduct.
In a similar case, Activision Blizzard also settled in 2021, involving an amount of approximately 16.5 million euros. The company was acquired by Microsoft in October for over 63 billion euros.
