There’s still a lot of work to do before Microsoft completes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The terms of the deal are in place, but the entire deal must be approved by regulators, especially the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Microsoft is lobbying as hard as it can, promising that “Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard games will continue to land on the PS platform after the agreement expires.
In a recent interview with CNBC, Microsoft President Brad Smith mentioned a potentially more thorny question. How will Microsoft improve Activision Blizzard’s culture? Addressing sexual harassment, or any cultural issue, requires a combination of commitment and humility, Smith said. This remains the responsibility of Activision Blizzard executives for now.
“We look to the Activision Blizzard leadership team to make culture and workplace safety a daily priority until the day the deal closes,” Smith said. “And then we’ll take over, and we need to make the same commitment.”
Smith warned that the Activision Blizzard leadership team is calling the shots, and Microsoft is closely watching the effect of their calls.
“What we’re saying is that there will be some changes in [the Activision Blizzard leadership team], but it’s going to be a new team working together,” he continued: “Most importantly, we want to see a change in the company culture.
we’ll see how the employees perform between now and the closing of the deal. Once the deal is approved, we’ll have the opportunity to make sure the right people are in the right roles.”
Asked by reporters: “It sounds like Activision Blizzard employees are going to be scrutinized between now and the end of the acquisition,” Smith responded, “I think we should all be living in a world that’s being scrutinized. The world is changing, and I think mainly On the positive side. If we seize the opportunity to change, we will do our best to serve our employees.”
It was previously reported that Bobby Kotick will be leaving Activision Blizzard after Microsoft completes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.