Why is CA suing Activision Blizzard? Gaming company slammed over 'horrifying' allegations

Why is CA suing Activision Blizzard? Gaming company slammed over 'horrifying' allegations
California investigated Activision Blizzard for discriminating against female employees at nearly all levels of employment (Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) on July 20 filed a lawsuit against gaming company Activision Blizzard in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit comes after a two-year investigation into Activision, which the company says it fully cooperated with. Among other things, the DFEH accused Activision of workplace harassment, discrimination and a failure to address the issues, which Activision has called "false".

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The suit against Activision is the first against a gaming company, with the industry having a long history of alleged harassment and discrimination. It is, however, not the first major company to be put under the spotlight for such claims. Fox News was slapped with a historic $1 million fine on June 29 by the New York City Human Rights Commission for the same allegations. In March, we also reported on the lawsuit against Amazon, filed by an employee who claimed racial and sexual harassment. We also covered the accusations of harassment levied against Amir Ben-Yohanan, an LA-based startup CEO.