Activision Blizzard Settles $50M Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination Against Women

Activision Blizzard has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a California regulator for approximately $50 million. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, accused the video game maker of discriminating against female employees by denying them promotions and underpaying them. California's Civil Rights Department (CRD) conducted a two-year investigation into the allegations, which also included claims of sexual harassment.

As part of the settlement agreement, Activision will implement fair pay and promotion practices and provide monetary relief to affected women. The agreement is subject to court approval.

The settlement has led to the withdrawal of all allegations and dismissal of systemic harassment-related claims by the CRD. The agreement states that no court or independent investigation has substantiated claims of widespread sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard, as acknowledged by the CRD.

Activision Blizzard also clarified that no investigations found any wrongdoing by its board or chief executive in their handling of workplace misconduct incidents.

This settlement comes after Activision Blizzard agreed in 2021 to pay up to $18 million to settle similar claims made by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The company was acquired by Microsoft in October for nearly $69 billion.

- CyberBeat