Mike Morhaime Response to Blizzard Lawsuit
Mike Morhaime posted a response to the Blizzard lawsuit. He stepped down from his position at Blizzard in 2018.
Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
I have read the full complaint against Activision Blizzard and many of the other stories. It is all very disturbing and difficult to read. I am ashamed. It feels like everything I thought I stood for has been washed away. What’s worse but even more important, real people have been harmed, and some women had terrible experiences.

I was at Blizzard for 28 years. During that time, I tried very hard to create an environment that was safe and welcoming for people of all genders and backgrounds. I knew that it was not perfect, but clearly we were far from that goal. The fact that so many women were mistreated and were not supported means we let them down. In addition, we did not succeed in making it feel safe for people to tell their truth. It is no consolation that other companies have faced similar challenges. I wanted us to be different, better.

Harassment and discrimination exist. They are prevalent in our industry. It is the responsibility of leadership to keep all employees feeling safe, supported, and treated equitably, regardless of gender and background. It is the responsibility of leadership to stamp out toxicity and harassment in any form, across all levels of the company. To the Blizzard women who experienced any of these things, I am extremely sorry that I failed you.

I realize that these are just words, but I wanted to acknowledge the women who had awful experiences. I hear you, I believe you, and I am so sorry to have let you down. I want to hear your stories, if you are willing to share them. As a leader in our industry, I can and will use my influence to help drive positive change and to combat misogyny, discrimination, and harassment wherever I can. I believe we can do better, and I believe the gaming industry can be a place where women and minorities are welcomed, included, supported, recognized, rewarded, and ultimately unimpeded from the opportunity to make the types of contributions that all of us join this industry to make. I want the mark I leave on this industry to be something that we can all be proud of.

-Mike
This article was originally published in forum thread: Mike Morhaime Response to Blizzard Lawsuit started by chaud View original post
Comments 608 Comments
  1. infertil's Avatar
    They are all just trying to get in front of it. they are all Liars even Fran who is new to the company. she has no idea what went on yet she tries to talk as if she did. The video at blizzcon of being asked to make female characters less sexualized and how they brutally responded to her was all you need to see that they are full of shit.
  1. leviathonlx's Avatar
    He's just trying to cover his ass before people call out the fact that Dreamhaven is likely full of people who took part in this behavior and even if he somehow didn't know about this shit he still failed as CEO to not know about what was going on in his own company.
  1. MrDaemon's Avatar
    If he knew, is he that stupid to think this wouldnt come out at some point. Things like this will come out one way or another.
  1. Femininity's Avatar
    Sounds like he's sprinting to distance his new studio from the controversy. All these big boys have plenty to say when the shit hits the fan.

    Also hate the use of his/her/their truth. It is nothing but spin.
    When you're at the trial of your rapist, and forced to hear -his- truth (per the defense attorney: "Today my client will share his truth...") instead of -the- truth, you realize that ownership of differing versions of events don't constitute individualized truths - one is simply a lie.
  1. Mojo03's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ablib View Post
    Not sure how Cher Scarlett's response means Morhaime is a liar. She didn't state who reprimanded her for cc'ing the CEO. It's also highly unlikely he read the email.

    So....what her take on it looks like, is she emails the CEO on a matter, and some low level scrub manager, slaps her wrist for "ZOMG, you just sent that to the CEO?!?!?"

    That's what it reads like anyways. She's free to clarify the record.
    Ya, I mean that's what I was thinking. He literally could very easily just not of seen it. It was a fucking CC...

    Sounds like it was her supervisor, not Mike...

    Not sure how her responding that on his tweet equates to undeniable proof he's lying, but I'm also not surprised people on her think it is.
  1. crejack's Avatar
    Ahhh the old "/afk" trick. Get logged out in 30 minutes of afk, not 28 years, I don't buy it.
  1. TomBrokovski's Avatar
    I thought the old guard left because of Activision taking over Blizzard. Now we find out why they really left. Sickening that they won't face meaningful repercussions for allowing this rot to fester and ruin Blizzard.
  1. Femininity's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by TomBrokovski View Post
    I thought the old guard left because of Activision taking over Blizzard. Now we find out why they really left. Sickening that they won't face meaningful repercussions for allowing this rot to fester and ruin Blizzard.
    To be fair, the problem is universal in the tech industry, gaming in particular. Tons of socially inept manchildren from stem to stern who can't even hold a casual conversation with or about women without disgracing themselves.
  1. ClassicPeon's Avatar
    it takes a real coward to make this kind of statement about his former workplace.

    Its literally the easiest thing in the world for him to aknowledge these accusations because it makes him look good and it only has a negative impact on Blizzard.

    What an absolute douche move.

    I'l never support Dreamhaven
  1. BaumanKing's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by FelPlague View Post
    One of the people who was abused has already outted him as a liar. She contacted him to try and deal with some of the abuse she was going through and got in trouble for it.
    So Blizzard has always been this way? From the very beginning? And all their games were made by harassers and rapists? I feel disgusted and betrayed. Not only I can't play wow anymore, I can't even play their old games now.
  1. Lorgar Aurelian's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Mojo03 View Post
    Ya, I mean that's what I was thinking. He literally could very easily just not of seen it. It was a fucking CC...

    Sounds like it was her supervisor, not Mike...

    Not sure how her responding that on his tweet equates to undeniable proof he's lying, but I'm also not surprised people on her think it is.
    Sounds like you kinda have a bias in mikes favour so your trying to bend over backwards to defend him.

    There’s no chance he wasn’t involved the idea that he could be the president for so many years with all of this going on right under his nose and not have atleast let it happen is ridicules.
  1. Magical Mudcrab's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by FelPlague View Post
    One of the people who was abused has already outted him as a liar. She contacted him to try and deal with some of the abuse she was going through and got in trouble for it.
    Given so little information it's very hard to draw the same conclusion that you are. Why do we know J Allen Brack knew about the harassment and did nothing about it? We know because of specific examples of protection of employees like Alex Afrasiabi, and more details provided in the court case. In this instance, when looking at Mike Morhaime, we see something that's explainable by a member of management taking over the issue and assuring upper management that it would be resolved, which would lead to a result of female employees being intimidated into silence for trying to escalate a problem. That Morhaime was kept in the dark about these issues at Blizzard not being addressed also appears to be what Cher Scarlett, the person who you referenced, also believes, given she has since talked to Morhaime and stated as such.
  1. ClassicPeon's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by World Peace View Post
    To be fair, the problem is universal in the tech industry, gaming in particular. Tons of socially inept manchildren from stem to stern who can't even hold a casual conversation with or about women without disgracing themselves.
    Is it universal because it happens everywhere in the globe or is it universal because predominantly america has had these issues and now america has a toxic feminist movement doing the exact same thing as the toxic masculine movement used to do?
  1. Kumorii's Avatar
    Another BS statement. In the end these statements and people's belief in them relies on if you like the person. I'm sure lots of classic players and blizzard haters will accept his letter.

    This is clearly him washing his hands preemptively and hopefully getting more support for his new company in the process.
  1. Magical Mudcrab's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Lorgar Aurelian View Post
    Sounds like you kinda have a bias in mikes favour so your trying to bend over backwards to defend him.

    There’s no chance he wasn’t involved the idea that he could be the president for so many years with all of this going on right under his nose and not have atleast let it happen is ridicules.
    I would look to the victim has to say.
  1. Wermys's Avatar
    I have seen this literal type of situation from my workplace before. They cc some executive on something, some rank and file notices this goes to the boss of that person telling them to use appropriate channels. Morhaime probably has his box setup to sort mail depending on topic. Those with particular ones where he needs to respond too come from 1 box. While others which are unrecognized get filtered through to his secretaries and others who handle and answer them. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in these type of situations like what she said only because I have seen similar stuff happen where I work. It isn't uncommon in a corporate setting. I mean do you really think Bezos answers all the emails he is sent without having them screened seriously? Anyways I thought the response from him was fine. He is going to get raked over the coals and more information might shake out from the woodwork but saying you cc'd something isn't enough for me to go yeah he knew about her situation.
  1. Lorgar Aurelian's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Magical Mudcrab View Post
    Sounds like gaslighting 101. She feels he enabled it so then he contacts her and pretends he was in the dark and she buys it.

    Given that another victim said there hair was falling out because of being gaslight by higher ups I’m not gonna put much stock into “oh I talked to them and they mustn’t have known because they were so nice”.
  1. Raven's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by BaumanKing View Post
    So Blizzard has always been this way? From the very beginning? And all their games were made by harassers and rapists? I feel disgusted and betrayed. Not only I can't play wow anymore, I can't even play their old games now.
    Biggest part have been innocent and victims, there have been some really big idiots but those have been a really tiny part of the amount of people working on the games, so not really fair to say that the games have been created by harassers and rapists.
  1. Mojo03's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Lorgar Aurelian View Post
    Sounds like gaslighting 101. She feels he enabled it so then he contacts her and pretends he was in the dark and she buys it.

    Given that another victim said there hair was falling out because of being gaslight by higher ups I’m not gonna put much stock into “oh I talked to them and they mustn’t have known because they were so nice”.
    Sounds more like you've already determined what you want the truth to be and decided to ignore everything that conflicts with it.

    Seems more like you're the one with the bias big guy.
  1. HansOlo's Avatar
    Hey Mike - your old friends are a group of gropers - and you did allow that.

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