Who makes it · Developer and publisher
Activision
Based in Santa Monica, California, United States Founded 1979 Part of Microsoft Gaming (Xbox)
Activision is the publisher of Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and owns studios including Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software. It makes money from full-price game sales, in-game purchases such as Call of Duty Points and battle passes, mobile games, and Game Pass licensing within Microsoft.
Track-record badges
What stands out, worst first
- Workplace misconduct
Workplace misconduct findings
Activision Blizzard settled a US EEOC harassment and discrimination suit with an $18 million fund (2021) and a California pay and promotion discrimination suit for about $54 million (2023); neither was adjudicated. - Crunch
Crunch reports
Bloomberg reported in November 2023 that Modern Warfare 3 developers worked nights and weekends on a 16-month schedule; the studio head disputed this. - Large layoffs
Large layoffs
February 2019: Activision Blizzard announced about 775 job cuts, about 8% of its workforce.
Track record
What's on the record, newest first
- Labour
QA union voted to authorise a strike
Activision Quality Assurance United-CWA, formed in March 2024 when about 600 testers were recognised under Microsoft's neutrality agreement, voted to authorise a strike, alleging Activision had failed to bargain in good faith over wages, AI and contractor use. No contract had been reached after two years of talks.
Kotaku - Court case
Brazilian first-instance court ordered R$18 million in loot-box damages, subject to appeal
In public civil actions brought by the child-rights group ANCED, the 1st Children and Youth Court of Brazil's Federal District ordered Activision Blizzard to pay R$18 million in collective moral damages over loot boxes, according to a technical note from Brazil's Ministry of Justice. The ministry listed Activision Blizzard among the game developers and publishers ordered to pay; its note does not name the games involved. It is a first-instance ruling: the ministry said the rulings are still subject to appeal, so the case is pending.
Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Technical Note 55/2026) - Investigation
EU consumer regulators investigated Call of Duty Mobile and Diablo Immortal spending design
Italy's competition authority opened investigations alleging that Activision Blizzard used misleading and aggressive in-app purchase practices, unclear virtual currencies and weak default parental controls in Call of Duty Mobile and Diablo Immortal. On 30 September 2026 the EU consumer protection (CPC) network announced a coordinated action, led by Italy with Norway and Denmark, on the same games. No finding had been published in the sources reviewed.
Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) - Labour
Report described crunch on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed developers, that Modern Warfare 3 was made in about 16 months and that staff at Sledgehammer Games worked nights and weekends to finish it. Sledgehammer's studio head said the project had been years in the making and that claims to the contrary were not true.
GamesIndustry.biz - Regulator action
Paid $35 million SEC penalty over workplace-complaint controls
The US Securities and Exchange Commission found Activision Blizzard lacked controls to assess employee workplace-misconduct complaints for investor disclosure, and that its separation agreements breached a whistleblower-protection rule. The company paid $35 million without admitting or denying the findings.
US Securities and Exchange Commission - Workplace
Settled US EEOC harassment and discrimination suit with $18 million fund
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Activision Blizzard alleging pervasive sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation, and the company announced a settlement the same day creating an $18 million fund to compensate eligible employees. The allegations were settled rather than tried.
The Verge - Workplace
California sued Activision Blizzard over discrimination and harassment
California's civil rights agency (then DFEH, now CRD) sued Activision Blizzard, Activision Publishing and Blizzard Entertainment alleging unequal pay, discrimination against women and harassment; the company called the filing distorted. In December 2023 the parties agreed an approximately $54 million settlement over pay and promotion discrimination claims, approved by the court on 17 January 2024; the claims were settled, not adjudicated.
California Civil Rights Department - Labour
Activision Blizzard laid off about 775 staff, 8% of its workforce
Activision Blizzard said it would cut about 8% of its workforce, around 775 people, on the same earnings call where it reported record 2018 results. The company said it was reducing non-development and administrative costs.
Ars Technica
Settlements are often made without an admission of wrongdoing; we say so where it matters. Follow each source for the full detail.
Games in the guide
What Activision made or published
Each game's money rating is its own: it comes from how that game makes money, not from the company's record.
Last checked 2 November 2026. Sources: arstechnica.com, calcivilrights.ca.gov, www.theverge.com, www.sec.gov, www.gamesindustry.biz, en.agcm.it, www.asa.org.uk, kotaku.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.bbc.co.uk, kotaku.com, kotaku.com, www.bloomberg.com, www.gamesindustry.biz, en.agcm.it, ec.europa.eu, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.gamesindustry.biz, www.gamesindustry.biz, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, www.gov.br. Spotted something wrong or missing? Send a correction.