Activision Blizzard has hired a new Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer who will be responsible for spearheading policies that encourage diversity and increase representation in game design.
As you may know, Activision Blizzard has been in hot water for a long time for their toxic work environment, to the point that they’ve been sued, employees have staged walkouts, and higher-ups have been fired and the battle continues.
To try and remedy this it seems the company has decided to hire a new Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer by the name of Kristen Hines. Hines will join Activision Blizzard from the 25th of April.
It is said she already has plans to increase the number of women and non-binary employees by 50%.
In a statement, she said:
”I’m excited to join a company that is prioritizing its commitment to [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion], and making progress on the ambitious goals it has set for itself. In an industry with historical underrepresentation, I’m looking forward to leading the company’s efforts to further build a workplace that values transparency, equity, and inclusivity.”
She also added:
”Gaming has amazing potential to connect communities around the world and showcase heroes from all backgrounds. I am looking forward to playing a part in expanding the landscape of talent who brings these compelling experiences to a broad base of players.”
Bobby Kotik himself said in a statement:
“Activision Blizzard has ambitious goals to become the most welcoming and inclusive company in the gaming industry. We’ve made impressive progress ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees, and for the long haul, we are excited to have Kristen join our leadership team so we can drive more improvements.”
This is a promising move by Activision Blizzard but with all the toxicity that has happened in the past and all those who have tried and failed and been laid off, it’s easy to see why not many have faith in this new move by a company who hasn’t quite got it right yet. Activision Blizzard seems to have its intentions in the right place but of course, actions speak louder than words.
For instance, the recent move to permanently employ their temp QA testers and give them the same benefits as their permanent counterparts was double-edged as the Raven Software employees who recently got laid off and decided to form their own union because of it, won’t benefit from Activision Blizzard’s new move.
So this move might be too little too late or it might just be what the company needs to turn it all around.
And then there is the impending takeover by Microsoft, will this change the work environment too? only time will tell.