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After 22 months of hearings, regulator approvals, and legal battles, Microsoft has finally acquired Activision Blizzard in a mammoth $69 billion deal. Now that work can begin on folding Activision Blizzard properly into the Microsoft and Xbox family, longtime CEO Bobby Kotick has confirmed that he’ll remain in that role until the end of 2023 and will report to Microsoft’s head of gaming Phil Spencer in his remaining months at the company.
“Phil has asked me to stay on as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we have agreed that I will do that through the end of 2023,” Kotick wrote in a letter sent to Activision Blizzard employees. “We both look forward to working together on a smooth integration for our teams and players.”
Kotick has served as CEO of Activision from 1991 to 2008, and after the merger of Activision and Vivendi Games which he helped engineer, he has carried on as CEO of Activision Blizzard. While Kotick’s tenure at Activision Blizzard saw the company enjoy blockbuster records with heavyweight IPs like Call of Duty and Candy Crush, it has also been marked by numerous scandals and controversies.
There have been several allegations regarding his culpability in failing to respond to an alleged culture of harassment and abuse at Activision Blizzard, although the company later claimed an investigation found “no evidence” of harassment being ignored by management.
It’s reported that Kotick’s compensation will see him receive a $400 million pay package as part of his upcoming exit. Most of the payout revolves around the millions of company shares that Kotick holds, which will be sold to Microsoft for $95 each, and he is also entitled to a substantial severance payment.
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