A new report claims that Call of Duty developer Activision installs Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officers on every single development team in order to “ensure the message” is propagated.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023), Sledgehammer Games
This new report comes from former World of Warcraft Team Lead Mark Kern and his developer contacts and friends. Kern posted on X that bonuses and reviews for Activision employees “depend on how hard you DEI.”
He also detailed that “DEI Officers are installed on every dev team to ensure THE MESSAGE.”
Furthermore, Kern relayed, “Of all the AAA Studios out there, my dev friends and contacts who have come forth tell me that Ubisoft and Activision are the very worst.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), Infinity Ward
To top it off, Kern shared an internal document that he alleges was sent to Activision employees last week that details all the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives the company engaged in over the last year. Kern claims that this is just “one of MULTIPLE DEI emails sent out weekly in a deluge of propaganda.”
Activision DEI Leaked! Plus:
– Your bonus and review depend on how hard you DEI.
– DEI Officers are installed on every dev team to ensure THE MESSAGE.
Of all the AAA Studios out there, my dev friends and contacts who have come forth tell me that @Ubisoft and @Activision are… pic.twitter.com/TDZqRn6v0o
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 16, 2024
The internal document is signed by Casey Morris, Actvision’s Officer of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Of note the document details that not only has the company been pushing identity politics to an allegedly illegal level through various Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, but it’s bleeding into game design.
One bullet point reads, “Made meaningful strides with collaborations between Inclusive Game Design (IGD) and our marketing creatives team, like with representation of the ‘King Koa’ Operator skin and the inspiration behind its development.” The King Koa skin was released as part of a Veteran’s Day Warrior Pack and was inspired by retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Benjamin F. from American Samoa.
Another notes, “Created the IGD council, comprised of external experts to act as an additional layer of expertise to share input on our content review processes in partnership with our IGD team.”
A screenshot from Crash Team Rumble (2023), Toys for Bob
There are also some suspect bullet points that appear to indicate the company is engaging in quota-based hiring and contracting. One bullet point reads, “Kicked off our TA/DE&I roadshow with some of our studio leads to deep dive into opportunities to expand our talent reach in collaboration with our Talent Acquisition team.”
Another states, “Worked with a number of Minority-owned Businesses Enterprises (MBE) to create experiences for our employees during celebrations in partnerships with our Internal Events team.”
The first bullet points also states, “Created a mentorship program, XP Equity, for all Activision employees to partake in an opportunity for connection and growth, and increased participation of mentor sign ups from cohort 1 to cohort 2.”
A screenshot of an alleged internal document from Activision
While the document claims that XP Equity is open to all employees, on the company’s Diversity & Inclusion website, a brief overview of the program makes it clear it has a certain focus on individuals based on their race, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, and disability.
The overview states, “Mentoring proves to build skill, networking, and confidence. The XP Equity Mentoring Program is a program open to all Activision employees with special focus on supporting individuals who are part of diverse groups (including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, etc.) within our employee population.”
Activision XP Equity Mentorship Program via Activision’s Diversity & Equity website
As far as the idea that DEI Officers are installed on every development team, the company’s President Rob Kostich declared as part of the company’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report that “Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) is a critical component of our future success. Our journey toward fostering DE&I began years ago, fueled by the passion and stories shared by our employees. To fulfill our vision of becoming the most inclusive blockbuster games company, we have embedded DE&I in every aspect of our operations.”
Kostich added, “We strive to create an environment where our talented employees can thrive and do the best work of their lives, and by integrating DE&I into our game development process, we can evolve our games to better resonate with abroader audience and to better foster community around the world. Every initiative we undertake is driven by the belief that we are building a better future – for our people and our players.”
He continued, “Embracing diverse perspectives is not only the right thing to do, but it also enables us to make informed decisions that shape the future of gaming and entertainment. It is an exciting time to now be a part of Xbox, who shares our perspective and commitment. While we acknowledge that there is still work to be done, we always embrace the challenge of continuous improvement. ‘Champion DE&I’ became one of our core values because of the unwavering passion and dedication of our exceptional employees, and it will remain a core focus of ours to help fuel our future growth.”
Screenshot from Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
The report also details that the company does indeed track representation and inclusion data. In fact, the company detailed it “started measuring every employee’s sense of belonging through an Inclusion Score, a quantitative measure of the extent to which employees feel welcomed, valued, and included within the organization.”
Screenshot from Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
Another slide delves more into how the company is tracking its employees via Inclusion. It states that the company “launched individual employee diversity, equity, and inclusion goal setting to foster accountability to building community, trust, belonging, and collaboration.”
Screenshot from Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
The report also indicates that the company is indeed prioritizing individuals based on their race and sexual activities. One slide details that the company offers “training (e.g. Inclusive Hiring Workshops) and resources to help manages reduce bias and build more diverse candidate slates.”
The same slide also details that the company has an “increased presence at events and organizations in addition to internships and apprenticeships to broaden the population of people who have access to opportunities at Activision over time (e.g., Lesbians Who Tech, LatinX Games Festival, National Society of Black Engineers).”
Screenshot from Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
READ: Overwatch Developer Calls Activision-Blizzard Diversity Tool “Creepy”
Of note, the report also confirms that the company is implementing DE&I into its game design. One slide reads, “Through collaboration between the DE&I team and business units across Activision, we focus on game accessibility, diverse media representation, and fostering connection through our gaming communities.”
Specifically, it details the company’s focus on Inclusive Game Design and what its Inclusive Game Design Council does, “Our Inclusive Game Design Council, with external experts, educates and supports developers in creating inclusive games. This year, we collaborated with UCLA Center for Scholars and Storytellers for workshops on Gender Identity, Roles, Stereotypes, and Cultural Appropriation in Video Games. These empower our teams to create inclusive characters, storylines, and games. We are piloting the Inclusive Game Design Ambassadors program to support employee initiatives for inclusive best practices.”
Screenshot from Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
The document also highlights how the company is promoting pride through its representation pillar.
It states, “It is important that our games authentically showcase different cultures, identities, and lived experiences. One example we’re excited about is Catbat, Activision’s first non-binary character. Catbat made their debut in the multiplayer game, Crash Team Rumble. An escaped prisoner of antagonist Dr. Neo Cortex, and as a lover of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Catbat is also the series’ first character voiced by a gender-fluid actor who uses all pronouns.”
Kaytlen Mennell, who works in Human Resources at Infinity Ward, added, “Activision’s scope around operations means infusing DE&I in design, putting a lot of effort and resources into ensuring authenticity in our games through the collaboration of artists, animators, and developers.”
Screenshot from Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
Given all this information that Activision includes in its 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, it’s not hard to fathom the report from Kern that DEI Officers are on every development team and that bonuses and reviews depend on your Inclusion Score.
What do you make of this report from Kern and this information from Activision’s own report?
Activision has gone full on Soviet Union right there.
You will be made to care!
I used to get made when lesbians were always furries. Now the NBs get to be furries, and lesbians can finally be human. What a time to be alive.