Bobby Kotick’s Goodbye Letter Calls Xbox ‘The World’s Most Admired Company’
We knew that Activision Blizzard’s longtime CEO, Bobby Kotick, would be stepping down at the end of this year following Microsoft’s historic acquisition of his company—but we didn’t know that he’d officially leave on the last workday of 2023, technically two days before the end of the year. This tidbit was one of several from a letter he posted today.
Kotick, who has been mired in controversy for many of the 32 years he’s been at ActiBlizz’s helm, penned a goodbye letter to employees on Wednesday, December 20, and officially announced his last day will be December 29 (the final workday of 2023, he’s not a weekend warrior). Titled “Bobby Kotick: With gratitude,” the letter is addressed to “extraordinary people” and begins with Kotick’s history as a capital “G” Gamer.
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Later, Kotick’s letter calls Microsoft / Xbox the “world’s most admired company,” and says the major acquisition (which the FTC attempted to block) wasn’t “an accident.” He then turns his attention to Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, who will lead Activision Blizzard King in his absence.
Phil Spencer has appreciated the magic of ABK for decades. When he approached Brian [Bulatao, Chief Administrative Officer] and me two years ago and proposed acquiring the company, it was immediately obvious that the combination of our businesses would enable us to continue to lead as the list of capable, well-resourced competitors grows.
Phil shares our values and recognizes our talents. He is passionate about our games and the people who make them. He has bold ambition.
As we move into our next exciting chapter, you could not be in better hands.
It’s unclear how Microsoft will handle ActiBlizz’s recent return-to-office mandate for remote QA testers, who are calling the stance a “soft layoff.”
As for Kotick’s departure, I’ll quote my late grandfather Pasquale Cestaro: “You don’t gotta go home, but you gotta go.”
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