Kotick Slams Riccitiello as Gaming's Worst CEO

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has launched a scathing attack on his former EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a recent appearance on the Grit podcast. Speaking alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, who hinted Riccitiello's leadership contributed to his own departure, Kotick acknowledged EA's superior business model compared to Activision's, yet surprisingly stated he would have paid to keep Riccitiello in the CEO role indefinitely. Kotick clarified this wasn't a personal attack against Gordon, emphasizing their shared concern that Gordon might one day lead EA.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of poor financial performance and significant layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, was marked by controversial proposals, including suggesting to shareholders that Battlefield players might pay to reload their weapons. After a brief stint as CEO of Unity Technologies (2014-2023), Riccitiello again faced controversy, culminating in his departure amidst a backlash over proposed and subsequently retracted installation fees. His time at Unity also included a public apology to developers for his derogatory remarks about those opposed to microtransactions.

Interestingly, Kotick, who led Activision Blizzard until its $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, revealed that EA had made multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard. He admitted that EA's business model, at times, appeared stronger and more stable than Activision's.

Kotick's own tenure at Activision Blizzard, while financially successful, was far from controversy-free. He faced numerous accusations of fostering a toxic work environment, including allegations of sexism and inadequate responses to serious misconduct. While Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews found no evidence of widespread sexual harassment or improper board actions regarding misconduct, a $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023 regarding these claims. The settlement stated that no court or independent investigation substantiated allegations of systemic sexual harassment or improper board actions.

In the same interview, Kotick also shared his negative opinion of Universal's 2016 Warcraft adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."