Bobby Kotick Declares Former EA Boss John Riccitiello 'Worst CEO in Video Games'

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick recently slammed his EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast appearance on Grit. This candid assessment came alongside former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon, who hinted Riccitiello's leadership contributed to his departure.

While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's at the time, Kotick expressed a surprising sentiment: "We would have paid for Riccitiello to stay a CEO forever. We thought he was the worst CEO in video games." He clarified this wasn't a personal attack against Gordon, who was present during the interview, but rather stemmed from a fear that Gordon might succeed Riccitiello at EA.

Riccitiello's 2013 departure from EA followed a period of financial setbacks and layoffs. His tenure, which began in 2007, included controversial proposals, such as suggesting Battlefield players pay per reload. He later led Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst controversy surrounding installation fees. His time at Unity also saw him apologize for his disparaging remarks about developers who resisted microtransactions.

Kotick, whose leadership at Activision Blizzard culminated in its $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023, revealed EA's multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard. He acknowledged EA's stronger business model, stating, "We actually thought their business, in a lot of ways, was better than ours. More stable."

Kotick's own tenure, while financially successful, was marked by significant controversy. Allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and inadequate responses to serious misconduct allegations surfaced. While Activision Blizzard maintained that independent reviews refuted claims of widespread sexual harassment and improper board conduct, a $54 million settlement was reached with the California Civil Rights Department in December 2023. The settlement noted that no court or independent investigation substantiated claims of systemic sexual harassment or improper board actions regarding workplace misconduct.

The interview also saw Kotick offer his critical opinion on Universal's 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."