Game Industry Feud: Kotick Slams Riccitiello as "Worst CEO"

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently slammed his EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast interview on Grit. While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's, Kotick expressed a preference for Riccitiello's continued leadership at EA, stating they would have paid to keep him. This statement, made alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, who hinted Riccitiello's leadership contributed to his own departure, highlights a surprising level of apprehension towards Riccitiello's potential replacement.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial setbacks and layoffs. His tenure, marked by controversial decisions such as suggesting Battlefield players pay to reload, ended with his exit from Unity Technologies in 2023 amidst a significant controversy surrounding installation fees. Further adding to his controversial legacy is a past apology to developers for his disparaging remarks about those who opposed microtransactions.

Interestingly, Kotick, whose leadership at Activision Blizzard culminated in its $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, revealed EA's multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard. He admitted to considering EA's business model superior in several aspects.

Kotick's own tenure, while financially successful, was also plagued by controversy. Allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and mishandling of serious misconduct claims led to employee walkouts and a lawsuit from California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing (now the Civil Rights Department). While a settlement was reached in December 2023, it's important to note that the California Civil Rights Department's statement clarified that no court or independent investigation substantiated claims of widespread sexual harassment or improper board actions regarding misconduct.

The interview also saw Kotick share his negative opinion of Universal's 2016 Warcraft adaptation, calling it one of the worst films he'd ever seen.