EA COO calls out toxicity from industry leaders at DICE 2022 keynote

During the DICE 2022 keynote, EA senior vice president and chief operations officer Lauren Miele spoke out about the harassment and negativity that has come to light from industry leaders in the past months.

According to IGN, Miele did not directly mention any company or executive, but based on the recent news over the past year, it is likely that she is directing this message primarily towards Activision Blizzard and Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. “Stories about negligence and lawsuits, all stemming from leaders who failed to uphold standards we’ve come to expect,” said Miele. She also mentioned despite “destructive behavior,” those that hold important industry roles are still being benefited.

Shortly after the accusations regarding the terrible work culture at Activision Blizzard, former Blizzard President J. Allen Brack stepped down back in August of 2021. Despite protesting the removal of Bobby Kotick, he still currently holds the position. However, following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard from Microsoft it is expected that Kotick will receive a “golden parachute,” allowing him to exit the company with a big check once the acquisition is finalized. As of recent reports, it has been learned that Kotick could leave the company with up to $15 million in his pocket.

Miele continued by saying that “women have been harassed, bullied, marginalized, held back in their careers, paid less, and much, much less. These are real stories, real human beings, and this is going on in companies in our industry,” and “leaders who fall short of basic standards must go.”

Even with the likelihood of Kotick departing once the acquisition is complete, that doesn’t guarantee that the work environments under the Activision Blizzard umbrella will cease outright. Additionally, this type of harassment happens across the industry, and this situation at Activision Blizzard is only in the spotlight because employees spoke out. Xbox head Phil Spencer has already revealed how the Xbox Gaming chain of command will be structured in response.