Fran Townsend, the Activision Blizzard executive who came under fire for denying any wrongdoing on the company’s part immediately after the infamous lawsuit, has claimed that Activision Blizzard is “working tirelessly to ensure that, moving forward, this is a place where people are not only heard, but empowered.”
In an email sent to employees that was also published on Activision Blizzard’s website, Townsend pulled a complete 180 from her initial response, and said that it’s now clear to her that the management needs to do more to combat toxicity, and with “a renewed urgency.” She also revealed that as part of its efforts to fix its culture, Activision Blizzard has fired 20 individuals thus far, and has disciplined more than 20 others.
Activision Blizzard is now apparently welcoming reports of misconduct, and claims that it has a “zero tolerance” policy for any kind of retaliation.
“We have begun work to improve how we address complaints, including the restructuring of two teams, Ethics & Compliance and Employee Relations, to more efficiently and effectively handle the investigation of complaints,” Townsend added.
Townsend herself had to step down from Activision Blizzard’s Women’s Network in the midst of the fiasco. Her initial tone deaf emails aside, the former politician caught backlash for sharing an article against whistleblowers, and then blocking own employees on Twitter after being called out. Townsend later claimed that her controversial emails stemmed from “legal counsel’s guidance” and didn’t quite sound like her. She stepped down from the Women’s Network to do “what’s right.”
You can read Townsend’s latest email on Activision Blizzard’s website.
