In 2013, John Riccitiello resigned as CEO of Electronic Arts after a six-year period marked by challenges and controversies. During his tenure, the popularity of Activision’s Call of Duty franchise surpassed that of Battlefield, which contributed to the pressure on his leadership. Riccitiello went on to make comments that were considered insensitive, such as suggesting that Battlefield players should pay to reload, which only worsened his image among fans.
Bobby Kotick, the CEO that no one wants, says there are worse
Recently, Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, shared his critical opinion about Riccitiello, calling him the worst CEO in the video game industry. In a joint appearance on the “Grit” podcast with Bing Gordon, former creative director of EA, Kotick revealed that there was concern within Activision about the possibility of Gordon taking control of EA. “We feared that Bing was going to run [EA]. And we would have paid for Riccitiello to stay as CEO forever,” he commented.
Kotick also recalled that there were multiple attempts at a merger between EA and Activision. According to him, EA tried to buy Activision several times and held discussions about mergers. However, EA ultimately rejected significant opportunities to acquire popular franchises like Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and Blizzard, which ended up in the hands of Activision.
Additionally, Kotick criticized the Warcraft movie, describing it as one of the worst he has seen and pointing out that it was a mistake for Blizzard to dedicate so much time and resources to this project. This perspective reflects a broader criticism of the strategic direction of some of the most influential companies in the industry at that time.
