Activision Blizzard (ATVI) blames failure to meet board diversity requirement on Microsoft deal

Activision states that the Microsoft acquisition is why it failed to hit the requirement for female diversity on its board.

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It’s no secret that diversity is a major issue plaguing the leadership of the world's biggest companies. It’s the reason that the state of California enacted a law back in 2019 that required companies in the state with at least six members on their board to have 3 women on the board by the end of 2021. Activision Blizzard failed to meet this requirement in the allotted time, but the company blames changes caused by the Microsoft acquisition as the reason why.

As spotted by Axios, Activision Blizzard’s annual report features a detailed rundown of the company’s business over the past year. There’s a lot covered in the report, and this is where Activision Blizzard directly cites its Microsoft deal as the reason why it failed to meet the state of California’s diversity requirement.

While it may be true that the company’s operations saw some changes under the Microsoft acquisition, it could also be argued that Activision Blizzard had ample time to get more women on its board before Microsoft came along. Of course, this news comes as Activision Blizzard continues to deal with a lawsuit from the California DFEH over harassment and mistreatment in the workplace.

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_

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