Video game developer Activision Blizzard, parent company of Blizzard Entertainment in Irvine, said today it is cooperating with a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the company’s employment practices.
Activision Chief Executive Bobby Kotick was among those who have been subpoenaed in the matter, a company spokesperson told the Business Journal.
Activision said on its website today that the company is “complying with a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) subpoena issued to the Company and several current and former employees and executives regarding disclosures on employment matters and related issues.
“The Company is confident in its prior disclosures and is cooperating with the SEC’s investigation,” the posting added.
California state officials filed sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed against the company in July.
The controversy has already led to the departure of Blizzard Entertainment President J. Allen Brack. Blizzard Entertainment is Orange County’s largest software company and is known for such hits as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo and Overwatch.
Santa Monica-based Activision Blizzard said today that Blizzard chief legal officer Claire Hart has left the company “to pursue other opportunities.”
Shares in Activision finished down 4.1% at $73.03 apiece for a market cap of $56.8 billion.
