Activision Blizzard hit with yet another lawsuit

Another sexual harassment lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard, the latest in a string of lawsuits against the company.

Activision Blizzard has, yet again, been hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles by Jane Doe who is seeking damages and compensation from the company and her ex-manager, Miguel Vega.

In the latest filing, Doe explains how she met Vega, which was through a game night around 2010. The lawsuit states that “they soon formed a virtual friendship, and she regrettably sent him compromising photos of herself.” This friendship ended in 2011 when Doe met her future husband, but they reconnected when she applied for a job at Activision Blizzard in 2016.

In 2017, she told a manager about Vega’s behaviour, which included non-consensual groping and attempted kissing, verbal abuse, and promises of a raise if she slept with him. Vega received no consequences, and soon began to threaten Doe of leaking the aforementioned intimate photos she sent him. In 2021, Doe once again reached out to HR about the sexual harassment.

Activision Blizzard has been allegedly aware of over 700 instances of sexual harassment filed to HR in the past few decades. Picture: Activision Blizzard

On August 23, 2021, despite Mr. Vega’s threat of revenge pornography, Ms. Doe mustered the courage to report Mr. Vega’s sexual harassment to manager Christopher Bruens. Mr. Bruens relayed her report to HR. Very shortly after, Mr. Vega left a voicemail for Ms. Doe in a poor attempt to mitigate the harm he caused her. On September 1, 2021, Activision Blizzard terminated Mr. Vega,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit filed is seeking to hold Activision Blizzard accountable for its hostile “frat boy” work environment, and seeks compensation for damages, medical and legal fees, and lost wages. In a statement provided to outlet Kotaku, Activision Blizzard responded: “We take all employee concerns seriously. When the plaintiff reported her concerns, we immediately opened an investigation, and Mr. Vega was terminated within 10 days. We have no tolerance for this kind of misconduct.”

Activision Blizzard is currently awaiting buyout from Microsoft, pending approval from regulatory agencies around the world. While Brazil and Saudi Arabia approved the buyout, the UK’s CWA has concerns about the deal, which Microsoft struck back against.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.