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Activision CEO Eligible for Over $22m in Stock Bonuses if Work Culture Improves Enough

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick could be given $22 million in stock if he improves the company's culture under Microsoft ownership.

One section of a regulatory filing spotted by Axios states that Kotick – who reportedly kept alleged internal sexual assault and harassment allegations from the board for years – will receive the bonus if he achieves "transformational gender-related goals and other commitments".

Kotick announced in October 2021 that he was intending for his base salary to be reduced from $875,000 to a California miniumum of $62,500 until progress was made after a group of shareholders and more than 1,000 employees called for his resignation over the allegations.

Activision Blizzard's Workplace Responsibility Committee, that was set up in November, will determine when the company has made "appropriate progress" towards the achievement of its goals.

These include: launching a new zero-tolerance harassment policy, increasing the percentage of women and non-binary people in Activision Blizzard’s workforce by 50%, investing $250 million to accelerate opportunities for diverse talent, waiving arbitration of individual sexual harassment claims, and increasing visibility on pay equity.

The filing also adds to the ongoing conversation around Kotick's future at the company as it states his contract could be extended by 12 months past its current March 2023 expiration.

Microsoft initially stated that Kotick would remain in his position following the acquisition but later said it was unconfirmed, before the Wall Street Journal reported that Kotick is set to leave when the deal closes.

Kotick reportedly told senior managers in November, however, that he would consider stepping down if he couldn't quickly fix the ongoing problems at Activision Blizzard, though the new $22 million incentive may have changed his mind.

Microsoft president Brad Smith commented earlier this month that the company will make sure it has "the right people in the right position," though Kotick is also guaranteed $15 million of "golden parachute compensation" if Microsoft fires him without cause.

The same regulatory filing also revealed that Microsoft approached Activision Blizzard just three days after the initial report on Kotick was published.

For a full breakdown of the Activision Blizzard controversy, take a look at IGN's timeline of events that began in July 2021.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Thumbnail credit: J. Emilio Flores/Corbis via Getty Images

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Activision CEO Eligible for Over $22m in Stock Bonuses if Work Culture Improves Enough

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick could be given $22 million in stock if he improves the company's culture under Microsoft ownership.

One section of a regulatory filing spotted by Axios states that Kotick – who reportedly kept alleged internal sexual assault and harassment allegations from the board for years – will receive the bonus if he achieves "transformational gender-related goals and other commitments".

Kotick announced in October 2021 that he was intending for his base salary to be reduced from $875,000 to a California miniumum of $62,500 until progress was made after a group of shareholders and more than 1,000 employees called for his resignation over the allegations.

Activision Blizzard's Workplace Responsibility Committee, that was set up in November, will determine when the company has made "appropriate progress" towards the achievement of its goals.

These include: launching a new zero-tolerance harassment policy, increasing the percentage of women and non-binary people in Activision Blizzard’s workforce by 50%, investing $250 million to accelerate opportunities for diverse talent, waiving arbitration of individual sexual harassment claims, and increasing visibility on pay equity.

The filing also adds to the ongoing conversation around Kotick's future at the company as it states his contract could be extended by 12 months past its current March 2023 expiration.

Microsoft initially stated that Kotick would remain in his position following the acquisition but later said it was unconfirmed, before the Wall Street Journal reported that Kotick is set to leave when the deal closes.

Kotick reportedly told senior managers in November, however, that he would consider stepping down if he couldn't quickly fix the ongoing problems at Activision Blizzard, though the new $22 million incentive may have changed his mind.

Microsoft president Brad Smith commented earlier this month that the company will make sure it has "the right people in the right position," though Kotick is also guaranteed $15 million of "golden parachute compensation" if Microsoft fires him without cause.

The same regulatory filing also revealed that Microsoft approached Activision Blizzard just three days after the initial report on Kotick was published.

For a full breakdown of the Activision Blizzard controversy, take a look at IGN's timeline of events that began in July 2021.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Thumbnail credit: J. Emilio Flores/Corbis via Getty Images

Posted in Uncategorized

Playing Elden Ring in Co-op Is Much Easier Than We Thought

FromSoftware has made playing Elden Ring in co-op much easier than in its previous games – and easier than the previous network test made it seem.

Elden Ring features a system broadly similar to Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and Bloodborne, in that you must first use a consumable item to open your world up and allow co-op allies to visit you. However, rather than demanding a semi-rare item that you must scour the world for, Elden Ring uses an item that can be crafted from incredibly common materials.

This item - called the Furlcalling Finger Remedy - is made using two Erdleaf Flowers, a plant that grows, at least in the opening area of the game, all over the place. This means that within the first few hours of Elden Ring you can create many, many Remedies, and thus be able to frequently summon allied players with ease.

As ever, offering help is easier than requesting it; you simply create a summon sign using the infinitely reusable Tarnished’s Furled Finger. Those using Furlcalling Finger Remedies can then see those signs and summon you into their world.

In Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and Bloodborne, you must use an item (Humanity/Ember, Stone of Ephemeral Eyes, and Madman’s Knowledge respectively) to allow your character to summon co-op allies. Dying stops you from doing this, and so on particularly difficult bosses you can easily burn through several of these items as you try over and over to score victory. While Elden Ring uses pretty much this exact same system, making Furlcalling Finger Remedies so easy to acquire notably changes the way players can approach co-op.

In the Souls games and Bloodborne, these items are best held onto in anticipation of boss fights, as they are the moments you’ll want another sword by your side. But with it simply being a case of bashing two common flowers together in Elden Ring, up to four people could happily just explore the world of The Lands Between, with the host player not being too upset about using resources to make that happen. And it’s a world perfectly suited to co-operative adventure; it’s so much larger than any other FromSoftware game that there’s value in traveling and discovering new things together.

Furthermore, Elden Ring allows you to summon NPC allies without the use of a Remedy. Simply find their golden summoning sign (usually just outside boss encounters) to bring them along for the ride.

Elden Ring is not a co-operative game in the traditional sense, but this small change to FromSoftware’s usual approach does mean that it’s easier than ever to play it as a co-op game. This will no doubt be a fantastic thing for those less experienced with Souls-like games; the ability to summon friends and play together makes the world less daunting and perhaps a little easier to progress through.

For more Elden Ring, check out our 10/10 review, as well as the game's unlock times and FromSoft's promise that difficult optional bosses will be hidden in the world. They sound like the perfect thing to try co-op for. Our Elden Ring guide is already in progress, but will grow when the game is released, helping you across The Lands Between.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.