Activision Blizzard CEO Suggested Buying Kotaku, PC Gamer to Improve Image

When youre wealthy, and also a bad person, theres only one thing to do, apparently. Taking a page out of the Jeff Bezos Publicity Playbook, Activision Blizzards CEO Bobby Kotick was considering buying out gaming news outlets in an effort to improve public image.

According to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, inside sources familiar with the ongoing Activision Blizzard controversy revealed that Kotick was suggesting they buy out platforms like Kotaku and PC Gamer to change the public narrative.

For those unfamiliar, Activision Blizzard has been receiving an influx of media coverage as allegations of sexual harassment came to light from within the company. And we dont mean your standard sewer variety harassment, it was rampant and just reached downright disgusting levels of unacceptable behavior. To make it worse, it was revealed that this behavior was allowed to cultivate at the company for decades.

According to Eurogamer, Activision denied the claims, Gizmodo Media declined to comment, and PC Gamer Editor in Chief Evan Lahti said that this is an awfully strong reaction to us giving the last Call of Duty a 60.

Currently, the suspicion is that acquiring these platforms was meant to be more as a distraction from the controversy than an actual effort to sweep bad coverage under the rug. Either way, game publishers owning gaming news outlets in any capacity is a huge conflict of interest. Even if they had attempted to follow through with the idea, theres a fair chance the outlets wouldnt have agreed. And if they had (because money hungry executives are like that), these platforms would have seen some terrible response from the general community.

But these are all what-ifs from a situation now passed. Microsoft has bought out Activision Blizzard. And if reports are to be believed, Kotick will be shown the door the moment the transfer is complete.