Kotick Labels Riccitiello as Gaming's Worst CEO

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has taken a swipe at ex-EA CEO John Riccitiello, branding him "the worst CEO in video games." In a candid conversation on the podcast Grit alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, Kotick discussed the competitive landscape of the gaming industry. While acknowledging that EA's business model was "in a lot of ways better than [Activision's]," Kotick humorously stated they "would have paid for Riccitiello to stay a CEO forever," indicating a strong critique of Riccitiello's leadership.

Riccitiello, who served as EA's CEO from 2007 to 2013, left the company amid financial struggles and significant layoffs. One of his controversial proposals was charging Battlefield players a dollar each time they reloaded their weapons, a move that did not sit well with shareholders or gamers. Following his departure from EA, Riccitiello joined Unity Technologies as CEO in 2014, but resigned in 2023 after a backlash against proposed installation fees that were later retracted. His tenure at Unity was also marked by other contentious moments, such as his critical comments on developers who did not embrace microtransactions.

Kotick, who oversaw Activision Blizzard's acquisition by Microsoft in 2023 for a staggering $68.7 billion, revealed that EA had made multiple attempts to acquire his company. He praised EA's business stability, admitting, "[EA] tried to buy us a bunch of times. We had merger conversations a bunch of times. We actually thought their business, in a lot of ways, was better than ours. More stable."

Despite Kotick's financial success at Activision Blizzard, his leadership was not without controversy. The company faced numerous allegations of sexism and a toxic work culture, culminating in a walkout by employees in 2021 over reports that Kotick failed to inform the board about serious misconduct allegations, including rape. Activision Blizzard maintained that independent reviews found no substantiation for these claims. In July 2021, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, alleging a retaliatory "frat boy" culture. The issue was settled in December 2023 for $54 million, with the California Civil Rights Department concluding that there was no systemic or widespread sexual harassment at the company, nor any improper actions by the board, including Kotick, regarding workplace misconduct.

In the same interview, Kotick did not shy away from critiquing other ventures, notably calling Universal's 2016 adaptation of Warcraft "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."