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EEOC lawsuit accuses Activision Blizzard of sexual harassment, discrimination

Lawsuit charges the gaming giant failed to adequately address employees’ complaints of harassment.

Activision Blizzard is facing legal action from another federal agency related to the game maker’s alleged mistreatment of female workers. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday filed a lawsuit in California federal court alleging the company violated the civil rights of employees by subjecting them to sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination and retaliation.

«Employees were subjected sexual harassment that was severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment,» according to the EEOC’s lawsuit, which lists the company and 10 John Does as defendants. «The conduct was unwelcome and adversely affected the employees.»

The complaint goes on to charge that although some employees lodged complaints about the harassment, the company failed to take measures to end it.

Activision Blizzard said Monday it had reached a settlement agreement with the EEOC in which it would create an $18 million to «compensate and make amends to eligible claimants.» The company also said it would strengthen policies and programs to prevent harassment and discrimination among its workforce.

«There is no place anywhere at our company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind, and I am grateful to the employees who bravely shared their experiences,» Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said in a statement. «I am sorry that anyone had to experience inappropriate conduct, and I remain unwavering in my commitment to make Activision Blizzard one of the world’s most inclusive, respected, and respectful workplaces.»

The EEOC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit is just the latest in a series of complaints against the company, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, with more $2.2 billion in profit last year.

California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard in July accusing the company of having a «frat boy» work environment and alleges several alarming incidents of discrimination and harassment.

Many employees have spoken out in support of the claims, with more than 2,000signing an open letter calling for the company to take action to support the harassment victims. Employees also held a walkout protest on July 28 to demand greater action from the company.

A complaint to the National Labor Relations Board earlier this month accuses the company of allegedly threatening or intimidating employees who were speaking out on workplace harassment. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has also opened an investigation into the company, seeking documents, board meeting minutes and other disclosures since 2019 related to the complaints of sexual misconduct.

Technologies

Resident Evil Requiem Revealed, but Where’s Leon Kennedy?

The Resident Evil 9 trailer showed off a new character, but not the much-rumored return of Leon.

After a fake-out earlier in Summer Game Fest on Friday, Resident Evil Requiem, or Resident Evil 9, was shown for the first time. 

The new title is the first mainline entry since Capcom released Resident Evil Village in 2021, and is rumored to feature series stalwart Leon Kennedy. In the trailer, the only person we saw was a character named Grace Ashcroft, who works for the FBI and appears to have ties to Raccoon City.

For the most hardcore Resident Evil fans, the name Ashcroft will ring a bell. Alyssa Ashcroft was one of the survivors of the online-only title, Resident Evil Outbreak for the PS2. Alyssa was a journalist who was trapped in Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2, and she, along with other survivors, had to escape the city before it was destroyed.

Grace is Alyssa’s daughter, and in the trailer, she is going to visit the Remwood Hotel, where Alyssa was murdered. Later in the trailer, images from what appears to be the remnants of a destroyed Raccoon City are shown — including the police department from RE2 — so it appears Resident Evil 9 will return to where the series started. 

Leon’s (rumored) return is a big deal for the series, which has made some of its best games with him in the starring role. He first showed up as a rookie cop in Resident Evil 2, which built on the original game’s success with more story and improved monsters and level design.

He showed up again in Resident Evil 4, which took the series in a new direction by introducing an over-the-shoulder perspective, instead of the usual static camera angles and tank controls. Leon was also one of several playable protagonists in Resident Evil 6, a game that seemed to forget about its survival horror roots. We mostly don’t talk about that one.

But the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 was an excellent return to form, bringing RE4’s gameplay and much better graphics to a fan-favorite entry. The RE4 remake was a similar success.

Resident Evil Requiem is set to drop Feb. 27, 2026, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, but we’re hoping to get our hands on it this weekend. If you want to catch up on older Resident Evil games, Capcom is having a sale that includes basically all the games, including Village and the three remakes.

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Technologies

The Switch 2 Is Here, and I’ve Scoured the Internet for Every Accessory Available Right Now

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Technologies

T-Mobile’s Free Premium iPhone 16 Pro Deal Explained. Learn Exactly How It Works

Along with a free iPhone, you can get an extra $800 to pay off your old device.

If you’re starting a new cell phone plan, most major mobile carriers require a multiyear commitment so it’s a big decision you need to consider carefully. First, think about the plan and provider itself: What’s the best coverage in your area and how many lines do you want to add? Next, compare the best mobile phone plan deals to save yourself the most money

T-Mobile has some fantastic deals right now you can take advantage of that make it a pretty competitive pick — especially for Apple fans looking to upgrade.

T-Mobile’s incentives include free lines and streaming services but one huge highlight is the chance to snag the top-rated iPhone 16 Pro free. The language on some of these offers can be a little confusing so we’ve broken down how T-Mobile’s current deals work below. Note that there aren’t any set expirations for these offers so they could vanish at any moment. We wouldn’t wait too long if you’re hoping to take advantage of these savings.

Why these deals matter

You more or less need a phone with reliable coverage these days but costs can add up quickly. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your mobile device or shopping for the best family plans, these T-Mobile deals can help save you some serious cash each month.

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