Technologies

Microsoft promises to change toxic work culture at Activision Blizzard

The tech giant knows it is facing turmoil within its new acquisition.

Over the past couple years, employees’ public accounts of toxic work environments have led to reckonings around Silicon Valley and promises from management to be better. On Tuesday, Microsoft made a similar pledge, though not for itself. The tech giant pointed to the litany of abuse and harassment allegations at its latest acquisition target, game maker Activision Blizzard, and promised that behavior would no longer be tolerated.

Amid Microsoft’s announced plans to buy Activision Blizzard for the eye-popping amount of nearly $69 billion in cash, the tech giant’s leaders spoke the usual pomp about how important the deal was. Microsoft would be bolstering its already enormous Xbox video game division with the teams behind some of the most popular franchises in the world, including the online battle games Overwatch and Call of Duty, as well as the fantasy behemoth World of Warcraft and mobile mainstay Candy Crush.

But Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also quickly pivoted to acknowledge that he isn’t just buying a company and its brands. Microsoft will also be taking over a sprawling organization under intense scrutiny over public claims of harassment, discrimination and more, all tolerated for years in an alleged «bro culture» atmosphere. On a conference call with investors shortly after announcing the purchase, Nadella discussed how he’s changed Microsoft’s cutthroat ways and how his lieutenant Phil Spencer would do the same with Activision Blizzard.

«The culture of our organization is my No. 1 priority,» Nadella said during his introductory remarks. «This means we must continuously improve the lived experience of our employees and create an environment that allows us to constantly drive everyday improvement in our culture.»

In doing so, he effectively promised to turn around a company that, while successful, is engulfed in scandal. «We are supportive of the goals and the work Activision Blizzard is doing and we also recognize that after the close, we will have significant work to do in order to continue to build a culture where everyone can do their best work,» he said in a thinly veiled criticism of past leadership. «It requires consistency, commitment, and leadership that not only talks the talk but walks the walk.»

It’s a tall order for Microsoft and Nadella to take on. But those who’ve watched his work say he and his lieutenants may be among the best suited to pull it off. And that’s in part because of how much Microsoft itself has changed.

Just a decade ago, Microsoft was seen largely as a monopolistic force in the computer world, reinforced through its toxic work culture. The company’s ruthlessness both inside and out were so widely documented over the years that a cartoonist once drew an organizational chart depicting Microsoft’s divisions as warring gangs pointing guns at one another. And when Google went public in 2004, it established a corporate ethos that became as much mantra as it was a referendum on Microsoft: «Don’t be evil.«

In 2014, shortly after Nadella was appointed as Microsoft’s third CEO, he set about for a fix. In his book Hit Refresh: The Quest to Rediscover Microsoft’s Soul and Imagine a Better Future for Everyone, Nadella described how he’d inherited a senior leadership team that was «more like a group of individuals» operating in silos. He asked each to read Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication, a guide to building compassion in organizations. Over time, he said, executives grilled and sniped at each other less, and supported one another more.

Nadella still stumbled, famously giving an «inarticulate» answer in 2014 when asked for advice for women seeking a raise while he was being interviewed on stage at the Grace Hopper Celebration for women in tech. Four years later, when CNET Editor-in-Chief Connie Guglielmo asked him to try again, Nadella said people need to advocate for themselves and find allies who won’t accept the status quo. He also said it’s on leaders, like him, to listen to those advocates.

With Activision Blizzard, Nadella said he’ll rely on Spencer, head of Microsoft Gaming and the Xbox division. Nadella described Spencer as having «demonstrated leadership driving both gaming business success as well as cultural change.» Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who was accused in a blockbuster Wall Street Journal investigation of having at times ignored, covered up and even participated in bad behavior at the company, told employees in a conference call published by the Washington Post Thursday that he will remain in his job until the deal closes in June 2023 and any longer Microsoft wishes him to stay.

The Activision Blizzard King Workers Alliance, which helped organize walkouts and protests over the past six months, tweeted a statement saying its efforts wouldn’t end with Microsoft’s acquisition.

«We remain committed to fighting for workplace improvements and the rights of our employees regardless of who is financially in control of the company,» the group tweeted Tuesday. «Whatever the leadership structure of the company, we will continue our push to #EndAbuseInGaming.»

Microsoft and Activision declined to make executives available for comment.

window.CnetFunctions.logWithLabel(‘%c One Trust ‘, «Service loaded: script_twitterwidget with class optanon-category-5»);

Under pressure

In an odd way, Activision Blizzard’s cultural issues appear to have driven the company into Microsoft’s hands. Activision Blizzard’s stock was floating near all-time highs last year until July, when it was sued by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which accused the gaming giant of discriminating against its female workforce and fomenting a toxic work culture. The suit quickly triggered public letters from employees that criticized the company’s leadership, followed by employee walkouts and online activism.

Kotick, according to the Journal’s reporting, was aware of many of the issues outlined in the suit but reportedly failed to inform the company’s board of directors of «everything he knew,» including a 2018 settlement with a former employee at one of Activision’s studios who was allegedly raped by a supervisor. Kotick at the time said the Journal’s article «paints an inaccurate and misleading view of our company, of me personally, and my leadership,» a sentiment repeated by the company’s spokespeople.

Still, investors were unconvinced, pushing the company’s stock down as much as 40% before Microsoft’s purchase was made public, for the same $95 per share that the stock was worth just a year ago.

Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies who’s watched Microsoft’s moves closely over the years, noted how often Microsoft discussed culture throughout its announcements on Tuesday, both by Nadella and Spencer, the latter of whom said, «We believe firmly that the great teams at Activision Blizzard have their best work in front of them, and we’re looking forward to making sure they feel supported, safe and engaged in every aspect of their work going forward.»

The focus on culture was «spot on,» Milanesi said. «The problem was with management, not the employees,» she added. «You get rid of management and put the employees in a good environment.»

window.CnetFunctions.logWithLabel(‘%c One Trust ‘, «Service loaded: script_twitterwidget with class optanon-category-5»);

Microsoft also published headshots of its gaming division’s leadership in connection with the announcement, and Milanesi noted that half the roles were filled by women and reflected racial diversity as well, an unusual sight in tech land. «I don’t think it would have been a possibility for them to keep the old management on» at Activision, she said. «Especially how employees responded, clearly it wasn’t good for the company.»

Though Kotick may not become a Microsoft employee, he will be paid a generous sum. His stock holdings alone will be worth nearly $400 million.

New game

Whether Microsoft can right Activision’s ship is still an open question, even if its executives so far have «talked the talk,» as Nadella noted. It may help that Microsoft has faced its own reckonings over the years, both in a 2015 class action discrimination suit and again in 2019 when employees protested its own «boys club» culture.

Microsoft’s HR head, Kathleen Hogan, wrote to employees following the 2019 revelations that she was «appalled and sad to hear» about their experiences and agreed that these problems must be resolved as a company. Microsoft shared the email publicly, in which Hogan said, «We must do better.»

So far, it appears Microsoft’s made headway. Nine out of 10 employees who left reviews on Glassdoor said they’d recommend working at Microsoft to a friend, and 97% approved of Nadella’s work as CEO.

«The deal and a renewed commitment to culture should enable Activision Blizzard to eventually move beyond the in-house issues that have surfaced,» Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter wrote in a message to investors after Microsoft’s announcement. «We think that Microsoft’s intolerance of workforce discrimination and harassment will overwhelm any issues that remain at Activision.»

One other thing that may help is Microsoft’s corporate mission. The tech giant’s taken clear stands on not just harassment but also human rights and other global and political issues that many game companies have either avoided or outright mishandled. Activision Blizzard itself was harshly criticized for its reaction against a competitive gamer who expressed support for democratic protests in Hong Kong in 2019.

«Many executives from the games industry have always been on the fringes and haven’t had to think much about these things,» said Joost van Dreunen, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business and author of the book One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games. «Microsoft has these questions answered. They know their place, and they have it thought through.»

To him, Microsoft also appears to be walking the walk of its Xbox division’s «for everyone» mantra, from its efforts to take on harassment in the gaming community to initiatives like its Xbox Adaptive Controller for disabled players.

«You don’t see that as much at Activision,» he said. At least not yet.

Technologies

Kohler Wants to Put a Tiny Camera in Your Toilet and Analyze the Contents

The company’s new Dekoda toilet accessory is like a little bathroom detective.

Some smart litter boxes can monitor our pets’ habits and health, so having a camera in our human toilet bowls seems inevitable. That’s just what kitchen and bathroom fixture company Kohler has done for its new health and wellness brand, Kohler Health.

The $599 Dekoda clamps over the rim like a toilet bowl cleaner, pointing an optical sensor at your excretions and secretions. It then analyzes the images to detect any blood and reviews your gut health and hydration status. Depending on the plan you choose, the subscription fee is between $70 and $156 per year.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

At toilet time, you sign in via a fingerprint sensor so that the device knows who’s using the facilities. (Please wash your hands before signing out or tracking your progress.) Then, check in with the app for the day’s analysis and trends over time.

Wait until you’re off the pot, though, before you start doomscrolling your health. The device has a removable, rechargeable battery and uses a USB connection.

Kohler says it secures your data via the aforementioned fingerprint scanner and end-to-end encryption, and notes that the camera uses «discreet optics,» looking only at the results, not your body parts.

«Dekoda’s sensors see down into your toilet and nowhere else,» the company says.

Kohler warns that the technology doesn’t work very well with dark toilet colors, which makes sense. I’m sure there could be an upsell model with a light on it. Maybe the company could add an olfactory sensor, since smell reveals a lot about your gut health too. It could track «session» length or buildup under the rim to alert whoever has responsibility to clean it.

Kohler must have been straining to find appropriate lifestyle photos to include with the publicity materials. Many of the images are hilarious, featuring fit-looking men and women drinking water and staring off into space contemplatively — probably thinking about gas.

Technologies

Who’s Up to Fight Mega-Corporations in the Outer Worlds 2 on Xbox Game Pass?

Save the universe by fighting one CEO at a time in The Outer Worlds 2, plus play other great games coming to Xbox Game Pass in October.

Space is the final frontier, and it’s packed with some devious mega-corporations who are out to make a buck in The Outer Worlds 2. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can fight them in the highly anticipated sequel starting on Oct. 29.

Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, like Hollow Knight: Silksong, added monthly.

Here are all the games subscribers can play on Game Pass soon. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in October, including Ninja Gaiden 4.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

PowerWash Simulator 2

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 23.

If you’ve ever spent hours watching people on YouTube clean dirty rugs, cars and other grimy objects, you should check out PowerWash Simulator 2. As the name suggests, this sequel is all about blasting away dirt and filth from pools, homes and other objects around town. You have a furry kitty companion, and yes, you can pet them when you’ve finished cleaning.

Bounty Star

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 23.

The American Southwest has devolved into a lawless, post-apocalyptic desert called the Red Expanse in this game. You’re out to clean the place up in this game by taking down major bounties issued by the government, and the best way to do that is by piloting and customizing a giant mech, of course. When you want to nurse your wounds, head back to your run-down garage to rest, grow and cook food and raise animals. It’s like a cozy Armored Core game.

Super Fantasy Kingdom (game preview)

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 24.

After returning from a hunting trip, you find your 8-bit kingdom wrecked in this game. You must rebuild your domain in this roguelite, city builder. But as night falls, hordes of monsters emerge to tear everything back down. Build, mine, cook and grow your home, and prepare to defend it from all dangers.

Halls of Torment

Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 28.

Get ready to descend into the deadly Halls of Torment in this retro, horde survival game. You can choose between 11 playable characters, each with their own playstyle, and equip various items and abilities to survive waves of enemies. This game is like Vampire Survivors, so if you like that game give this one a shot.

The Outer Worlds 2

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 29.

Clear your calendar for this sequel to the award-winning sci-fi adventure, The Outer Worlds. This time, you’re an Earth Directorate agent investigating the cause of devastating rifts that could destroy humanity. You have a new ship, new crew, new enemies and mega-corporation goons standing between you and the answers.

1000xResist

Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Nov. 4.

One thousand years in the future, humanity is hanging on by a thread after a disease spread by alien occupation forces people to live underground in this sci-fi adventure game. You play as Watcher, and you fulfill your duties well, until one day you make a shocking discovery. This game won a Peabody Award in 2024, and it was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Game Writing that same year, so get ready for a story like no other.

Football Manager 26

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 29.

Get ready for a more immersive matchday experience in the latest installment of the Football Manager franchise. You can build a star-studded squad with new transfer tools, and this entry features official Premier League licenses and women’s football for the first time in the series’ history.

Game Pass subscribers can play the standard or Console edition of this game.

Games leaving Game Pass on Oct. 31

While Microsoft is adding those games to Game Pass, it’s also removing three others from the service on Oct. 31. So you still have some time to finish your campaign and any side quests before you have to buy these games separately.

Jusant
Metal Slug Tactics
Return to Monkey Island

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to the Game Pass service.

Technologies

Does Charging Your Phone Overnight Damage the Battery? We Asked the Experts

Modern smartphones are protected against overcharging, but heat and use habits can still degrade your battery over time.

Plugging your phone in before you head to bed might seem like second nature. That way by the time your alarms go off in the morning, your phone has a full charge and is ready to help you conquer your day. However, over time, your battery will start to degrade. So is keeping your phone plugged in overnight doing damage to the battery?

The short answer is no. Keeping your phone plugged in all the time won’t ruin your battery. Modern smartphones are built with smart charging systems that cut off or taper power once they’re full, preventing the kind of «overcharging damage» that was common in older devices. So if you’re leaving your iPhone or Android on the charger overnight, you can relax.

That said, «won’t ruin your battery» doesn’t mean it has no effect. Batteries naturally degrade with age and use, and how you charge plays a role in how fast that happens. Keeping a phone perpetually at 100% can add extra stress on the battery, especially when paired with heat, which is the real enemy of longevity.

Understanding when this matters (and when it doesn’t) can help you make small changes to extend your phone’s lifespan.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The science behind battery wear

Battery health isn’t just about how many times you charge your phone. It’s about how it manages voltage, temperature and maintenance. Lithium-ion batteries age fastest when they’re exposed to extreme levels: 0% and 100%.

Keeping them near full charge for long stretches puts additional voltage stress on the cathode and electrolyte. That’s why many devices use «trickle charging» or temporarily pause at 100%, topping up only when needed.

Still, the biggest threat isn’t overcharging — it’s heat. When your phone is plugged in and running demanding apps, it produces heat that accelerates chemical wear inside the battery. If you’re gaming, streaming or charging on a hot day, that extra warmth does far more harm than leaving the cable plugged in overnight.

Apple’s take

Apple’s battery guide describes lithium-ion batteries as «consumable components» that naturally lose capacity over time. To slow that decline, iPhones use Optimized Battery Charging, which learns your daily routine and pauses charging at about 80% until just before you typically unplug, reducing time spent at high voltage.

Apple also advises keeping devices between 0 to 35 degrees Celsius (32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit) and removing certain cases while charging to improve heat dissipation. You can read more on Apple’s official battery support page.

What Samsung (and other Android makers) do

Samsung offers a similar feature called Battery Protect, found in One UI’s battery and device care settings. When enabled, it caps charging at 85%, which helps reduce stress during long charging sessions.

Other Android makers like Google, OnePlus and Xiaomi include comparable options — often called Adaptive Charging, Optimized Charging or Battery Care — that dynamically slow power delivery or limit charge based on your habits. These systems make it safe to leave your phone plugged in for extended periods without fear of overcharging.

When constant charging can hurt

Even with these safeguards, some conditions can accelerate battery wear. As mentioned before, the most common culprit is high temperature. Even for a short period of time, leaving your phone charging in direct sunlight, in a car or under a pillow can push temperatures into unsafe zones.

Heavy use while charging, like gaming or 4K video editing, can also cause temperature spikes that degrade the battery faster. And cheap, uncertified cables or adapters may deliver unstable current that stresses cells. If your battery is already several years old, it’s naturally more sensitive to this kind of strain.

How to charge smarter

You don’t need to overhaul your habits but a few tweaks can help your battery age gracefully.

Start by turning on your phone’s built-in optimization tools: Optimized Battery Charging on iPhones, Battery Protect on Samsung devices and Adaptive Charging on Google Pixels. These systems learn your routine and adjust charging speed so your phone isn’t sitting at 100% all night.

Keep your phone cool while charging. According to Apple, phone batteries perform best between 62 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 22 degrees Celsius). If your phone feels hot, remove its case or move it to a better-ventilated or shaded spot. Avoid tossing it under a pillow or too close to other electronics, like your laptop, and skip wireless chargers that trap heat overnight.

Use quality chargers and cables from your phone’s manufacturer or trusted brands. Those cheap «fast-charge» kits you find online often deliver inconsistent current, which can cause long-term issues.

Finally, don’t obsess over topping off. It’s perfectly fine to plug in your phone during the day for short bursts. Lithium-ion batteries actually prefer frequent, shallow charges rather than deep, full cycles. You don’t need to keep it between 20% and 80% all the time, but just avoid extremes when possible.

The bottom line

Keeping your phone plugged in overnight or on your desk all day won’t destroy its battery. That’s a leftover myth from a different era of tech. Modern phones are smart enough to protect themselves, and features like Optimized Battery Charging or Battery Protect do most of the heavy lifting for you.

Still, no battery lasts forever. The best way to slow the inevitable is to manage heat, use quality chargers and let your phone’s software do its job. Think of it less as «babying» your battery and more as charging with intention. A few mindful habits today can keep your phone running strong for years.