Activision Boss Blasts Ex-EA Chief as 'Worst in Gaming'

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently slammed his EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast appearance on Grit. While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's, Kotick stated he'd have paid to keep Riccitiello in the role indefinitely. He even expressed relief that Bing Gordon, EA's former chief creative officer, never took the helm.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial setbacks and layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, included controversial proposals, such as charging players for gun reloads in Battlefield. He later served as CEO of Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst controversy surrounding installation fees. His time at Unity also saw him apologize for his inflammatory remarks about developers who resisted microtransactions.

Interestingly, Kotick revealed EA's multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard, a company he led until its $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023. Despite EA's perceived business advantages, Kotick maintained Activision Blizzard's ultimately successful trajectory.

Kotick's own leadership, while financially successful, was marked by significant controversy, including employee complaints about sexism, a toxic work environment, and allegations of mishandling serious misconduct. While Activision Blizzard faced a lawsuit and subsequent settlement with the California Civil Rights Department, the department's findings stated that no court or independent investigation substantiated claims of widespread sexual harassment or improper board actions regarding workplace misconduct.

The interview also saw Kotick criticize Universal's 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it one of the worst movies he'd ever seen.