Inside Blizzard Developers’ Infamous Bill ‘Cosby Suite’

Booze, sexual remarks, and a giant portrait of Cosby are all at the center of Activision lawsuit

By Ethan Gach Yesterday { July 28 } 2:05 PM

{ excerpts }:

Former World of Warcraft developer Alex Afrasiabi and other current and former Blizzard developers

allegedly posing with a portrait of Bill Cosby at BlizzCon 2013.Screenshot: Kotaku

Since news broke last week of widespread allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination at Activision Blizzard

via a legal complaint from the state of California, many top male developers there, both current and former, have responded with shock and dismay.

But while many claim they weren’t aware of the problematic “frat boy culture” leading to accusations of sexual harassment and assault

at the hands of male Blizzard employees, comments and images shared on social media paint a different picture.

Based on photographs and screenshots of Facebook posts obtained by Kotaku, it’s clear that people beyond Alex Afrasiabi

—the man named in the lawsuit, and a long-time World of Warcraft developer

—were aware of the “Cosby Suite” mentioned in the lawsuit.

That was apparently a nickname for Afrasiabi’s BlizzCon 2013 hotel room, and seemingly a reference to the name of previously convicted rapist Bill Cosby.

https://kotaku.com/inside-blizzard-developers-infamous-bill-cosby-suite-1847378762

July 28, 2021 | By Bryant Francis

https://twitter.com/Kotaku/status/1420451554478460929

2:30 PM · Jul 28, 2021 · Sprout Social

Solidarity and tension on display during employee walkout at Blizzard HQ

July 28, 2021 | By Bryant Francis

Today Activision Blizzard employees gathered in front of Blizzard Entertainment’s headquarters in Irvine, CA.

The gathered employees had returned to their offices not to resume work after the pandemic,

but to protest the company’s response to a lawsuit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

Dozens of employees gathered alongside Blizzard’s gates, voicing anger at the company’s dismissal last week

that the State of California’s lawsuit was “meritless.”

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/385855/Solidarity_and_tension_on_display_during_employee_walkout_at_Blizzard_HQ.php

>>77042

>walkout at Blizzard HQ

>Today Activision Blizzard employees gathered in front of Blizzard Entertainment’s headquarters in Irvine, CA.

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Ubisoft staff back Activision Blizzard protests, decry 'ingrained culture of abusive behavior'

July 29, 2021 | By Chris Kerr

Ubisoft employees have voiced their support for protesting Activision Blizzard developers and called for more accountability

and action to combat "a widespread and deeply ingrained culture of abusive behavior" within the games industry.

As reported by Axios, almost 500 current and former Ubisoft workers signed a letter criticizing the Assassin's Creed publisher,

Activision Blizzard, and other industry-leading companies for allowing toxicity to take root and flourish through seemingly

willful inaction.

The letter was released as Activision Blizzard employees staged a walkout at Blizzard Entertainment's headquarters in Irvine, CA,

to voice their anger at the company's dismissive response to a lawsuit filed by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.

>>77058

>Ubisoft staff back Activision Blizzard

<sauce:

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/385872/Ubisoft_staff_back_Activision_Blizzard_protests_decry_ingrained_culture_of_abusive_behavior.php