Activision Blizzard sued by California over 'frat boy' workplace culture

From CNET: A "frat boy" environment rife with sexual harrassment and workplace discrimination. That's what the state of California is accusing Activision Blizzard of via a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

The DFEH's suit accuses Activision Blizzard of workplace discrimination. It alleges that women are not only compensated unfairly, but also subject to considerable harassment. The agency called Activision Blizzard a "breeding ground for harassment and discrimination," in which women are subject to regular sexual advances by men, often high-ranking, who largely go unpunished.

"Women and girls now make up almost half of gamers in America, but the gaming industry continues to cater to men," the suit reads. "Activision-Blizzard's double-digit percentage growth, ten-figure annual revenues, and recent diversity marketing campaigns have unfortunately changed little."

Activision Blizzard, which publishes titles including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, and last year had revenues of over $8 billion, is the latest in a line of gaming giants to face criticisms over workplace culture. The CEO of Riot Games, the company behind the hugely popular League of Legends, was accused of sexual harassment in February by a former employee -- just a year after it paid $10 million to over 1,000 women to settle a discrimination lawsuit. Last year dozens of accusations of sexual harassment at Ubisoft, which publishes Assassin's Creed, led to the resignation of three executives.

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