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. While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's, Kotick expressed a preference for Riccitiello's continued absence from the industry. He even jokingly stated that Activision would have paid to keep Riccitiello as CEO indefinitely.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial struggles and layoffs. His tenure was punctuated by controversial decisions, including a proposal to charge players for reloading in Battlefield and his infamous remark about developers who resisted microtransactions. He later served as CEO of Unity Technologies, leaving in 2023 amidst controversy surrounding installation fees.

Interestingly, Kotick revealed EA's multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard, a company he led until its $68.7 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2023. Despite EA's perceived business advantages, the acquisition never materialized.

Kotick's own leadership, while financially successful, was also marred by controversy. Allegations of sexism, a toxic work environment, and mishandling of misconduct claims led to employee walkouts and a lawsuit from California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing (now the Civil Rights Department). A subsequent $54 million settlement concluded with a statement that no court or independent investigation substantiated claims of widespread sexual harassment or improper board actions.

The interview also saw Kotick sharing his less-than-favorable opinion of Universal's 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."