Activision Blizzard chairman and CEO Bobby Kotick is leading the company and has not resigned, despite pressure to drop him from his post.
Activision Blizzard has faced calls to oust Kotick amid a wave of new allegations of harassment. In a lawsuit filed last month, former Activision Blizzard employee Jackie Reses alleged that Kotick had kissed her, groped her, asked her to keep quiet about her sexual harassment claim, and made lewd comments about women in his company.
In a statement, a Coca-Cola representative said Kotick remained on the board. “It has been our longstanding policy to support independent investigations into allegations of misconduct, and as always, we’re committed to ensuring a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace,” the company said.
Activision Blizzard did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this year, Coca-Cola issued a statement distancing itself from Kotick and reiterating its support for a key activist investor who called for the head of the gaming company’s board. Caddell Offshore Capital’s president, Leigh Drogen, told Bloomberg in April that Activision Blizzard was “dodging their responsibilities” by trying to retain Kotick, the company’s largest shareholder, which was “taking advantage of his position to capitalize on its ‘legacy’ and board control.”
Re/code wrote this month that Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Foundation, an investment arm of the beverage giant, are “still supporting Mr. Kotick’s continued service on the company’s board” as it works to rebuild its reputation and reach out to women.
Activision Blizzard was founded in 1989, and its business includes blockbuster franchises such as “Call of Duty,” “Skylanders” and “Overwatch.”
This article has been updated to reflect that Coca-Cola was still supporting Activision Blizzard as of the writing of this article.