It has been a long and tumultuous road since July of 2021 as the news broke around the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s (DFEH) investigation into sexual misconduct, harassment and a "frat boy" culture within Activision Blizzard's working environment. The company behind some of gaming's most popular titles, including Overwatch and Call of Duty initially denied these claims and sought to dismiss the investigation entirely, yet as the months have gone on, Activision Blizzard has learned that the case will not simply die down, as employees from Activision Blizzard have gone on strike or left altogether and individuals from all over the gaming industry have spoken out against the publisher.
Twitch titan and streamer Pokimane is the latest public figure to have her say on the whole situation, declaring that "well-off" streamers and those with higher incomes should refrain from playing Activision Blizzard games so as not to support the publisher. With the popularity of Activision Blizzard games, such as Call of Duty: Warzone, on Twitch, some streamers may rely on playing one of these games in order to sustain their income. "I do understand that some people may be in a situation where their income is heavily based around a Blizzard game," the streamer said. "But I think in that case, they should still be extremely vocal about how they’re against this if they are still gonna play their game."
Pokimane herself has not played any Activision Blizzard games since the lawsuit against the publisher went public in July. Though many fans praised Pokimane for her stance against the controversial company, fellow Twitch streamer Asmongold fired back at Pokimane, claiming the streamer made a "moot" point and was pandering. Most known for his experience in World of Warcraft, Asmongold claimed streamers shouldn't be influenced by others on the games they want to play.
https://clips.twitch.tv/ThoughtfulOpenTeaSpicyBoy-R5UfJS-jmmUt0NJD
Even if Pokimane's words may be seen as "pandering" to some, she is not alone in her criticism. It's not just streamers that have taken a stance against Activision Blizzard though, many other company chiefs and representatives from the gaming industry added their thoughts on the situation. Xbox boss Phil Spencer remarked that he was "shocked and disgusted" at the accusations, and that Xbox would be reconsidering their relationship with the publisher. Even the Game Awards did not allow Activision Blizzard to appear during its year end celebration of all gaming, .
Outside of gaming, Government treasurers for six states stepped in earlier this month to add some legitimacy and monetary weight to the accusations against the publisher. As things heat up for Activision Blizzard, it seems only more streamers, company officials and others will get involved to disavow the company's actions.