Activision Blizzard’s systemic issues have come to the forefront in recent months, and the industry at large has been united in its criticism of the company and its practices, with even platform holders like Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox having spoken out against the same. Recently, however, The Game Awards and creator, host, and producer Geoff Keighley came under fire when, in an interview with The Washington Post, he said that this year’s show, set for December 9, would not be taking a stance on the company.
Many recalled Keighley’s public criticism of Konami at The Game Awards 2016 when the company blocked Hideo Kojima from attending the event and accepting an awards, wondering why similar standards weren’t being applied to Activision Blizzard, especially for a matter that is far more egregious. Many also pointed to the fact that Activision president Rob Kotisch is on The Game Awards’ advisory board.
Recently, in response to the criticism against The Game Awards’ refusal to take a stance on the issue, Keighley took to Twitter and said that other than Activision Blizzard’s games having been nominated in several categories in the awards show, the company “will not be a part of this year’s The Game Awards.”
“There is no place for abuse, harassment, or predatory practices in any company or any community,” Keighley wrote. “I also realize we have a big platform which can accelerate and inspire change. We are committed to that, but we all need to work together to build a better and a more inclusive environment so everyone feels safe to build the world’s best games.”
Activision Blizzard has two nominations in this year’s The Game Awards- Call of Duty: Warzone is nominated for Best Ongoing Game, while Call of Duty as a whole has been nominated for Best Esports Game.