Activision Blizzard has confirmed Alex Afrasiabi – former creative director on World of Warcraft – was fired last year for "misconduct in his treatment of other employees." Afrasiabi quietly left the company last year, with no official announcement about his early departure.
That's all changed, as Activision Blizzard today announced the reason for his dismissal to Kotaku. According to the new report, Afrasiabi was the target of an internal misconduct investigation that culminated in his termination. Following his exit, further misconduct allegations were brought forward, including an incident in 2013 about a "Cosby Suite" that's at the center of another misconduct investigation.
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“An employee brought these 2013 events [about the "Cosby Suite"] to our attention in June 2020,” an Activision representative said. “We immediately conducted our own investigation and took corrective action. At the time of the report, we had already conducted a separate investigation of Alex Afrasiabi and terminated him for his misconduct in his treatment of other employees.”
Ultimately, Afrasiabi was let go for misconduct towards his co-workers and other employees. With the current lawsuit Activision Blizzard is facing, details surrounding Afrasiabi's alleged abuse are finally surfacing, including some of the official complaints made against the former creative director.
“During a company event, Afrasiabi would hit on female employees, telling him [sic] he wanted to marry them, attempting to kiss them, and putting his arms around them,” reads an official complaint. “This was in plain view of other male employees, including supervisors, who had to intervene and pull him off female employees."
Past and present Activision Blizzard employees today held a walkout in Irvine, demanding changes to corporate culture and supporting the lawsuit filed by the state of California. Bobby Kotick – CEO of Activision Blizzard – has called the company's initial response to the lawsuit "tone-deaf," and says the leadership team will do a "better job of listening."
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