Bobby Kotick Declares Former EA Boss John Riccitiello 'Worst CEO in Video Games'

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently slammed his EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast appearance on Grit. While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's at the time, Kotick stated he'd have gladly paid to keep Riccitiello from the helm. This comment, made alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, was partly driven by a fear that Gordon might lead EA.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial struggles and layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, was marked by controversial proposals, including suggesting Battlefield players pay to reload their weapons. He later led Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst controversy surrounding installation fees. His time at Unity also included a public apology for disparaging developers who resisted microtransactions.

Kotick revealed that EA had made multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard. He admitted EA's business model was, in many aspects, stronger than Activision's, citing greater stability.

Kotick's own leadership at Activision Blizzard, culminating in Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition in 2023, was not without its controversies. The company faced numerous allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and mishandling of serious misconduct claims. While Activision Blizzard maintains that independent reviews found these allegations unsubstantiated, a $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023. The settlement noted that no court or independent investigation substantiated allegations of widespread sexual harassment or improper board actions regarding workplace misconduct.

The interview also saw Kotick criticize Universal's 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it one of the worst movies he'd ever seen.