Bobby Kotick Declares Former EA Boss John Riccitiello 'Worst CEO in Video Games'

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Bobby Kotick Declares Former EA Boss John Riccitiello 'Worst CEO in Video Games'

Feb 28,25(4 months ago)

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently launched a scathing attack on his former EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast appearance on Grit. Joining Kotick was former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, who hinted that Riccitiello's leadership contributed to his own departure.

While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's at the time, Kotick expressed a surprising sentiment: "We would have paid for Riccitiello to stay a CEO forever. We thought he was the worst CEO in video games." He clarified this wasn't a personal attack against Gordon, stating their primary concern was the possibility of Gordon succeeding Riccitiello.

Former EA CEO John Riccitiello. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial setbacks and layoffs. His tenure, beginning in 2007, was punctuated by controversial decisions, including a proposal to shareholders suggesting Battlefield players pay for ammunition reloads. He later served as CEO of Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst controversy surrounding installation fees. His time at Unity also included an apology to developers for his disparaging remarks about those opposed to microtransactions.

Kotick, whose leadership at Activision Blizzard culminated in its $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, revealed EA's multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard. He admitted that EA's business model, at one point, appeared more robust and stable than Activision's.

Ex-Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.

Kotick's own tenure, while financially successful, was marred by controversy. Allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and mishandling of serious misconduct claims led to employee walkouts and lawsuits. While Activision Blizzard settled a lawsuit with California's Civil Rights Department for $54 million, the company maintains that independent reviews found no evidence of systemic sexual harassment or improper board actions.

The interview also saw Kotick share his critical opinion of Universal's 2016 Warcraft adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."

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