Following several days of apparent inaction, it appears Activision Blizzard might have made a move concerning Kyle Hickey, the Blizzard technical artist who sparked controversy with his violent social media message urging followers to “murder your local MAGA.” Notably, Mark Kern, a former World of Warcraft team lead known as Grummz online, has shared that multiple sources close to the situation have reportedly informed him that Hickey’s Slack account has been terminated.
Kern shared the update on X.
It’s been verified across several channels that the artist from Blizzard, who made offensive comments towards MAGA, has had their Slack account terminated.
This is usually a sign of termination.
Something was finally done.
— Grummz (@Grummz) February 7, 2025
It’s been verified by several reports that the artist at Blizzard who issued threats towards MAGA has had their Slack account suspended, which often indicates termination and action being taken against them at last.
If accurate, this signifies a significant change of direction for Activision Blizzard, as Kern had previously asserted on February 4 that no action was being taken regarding Hickey’s post, relying on inside sources. At that time, Kern appeared to be expressing dissatisfaction over what he perceived as the selective application of company policies.
Kern declared on X that no action has been taken so far. I’ve received information from reliable sources that the Blizzard artist who advocated for harming a local MAGA supporter has not faced any consequences yet. It’s shocking. If similar remarks were made about the Left, the HR policies would be swiftly enforced. The current policies appear to have a bias, tolerating such language only when it aligns with their views. I’m fed up with people trivializing death threats as mere jokes. They are unacceptable, everyone should understand this.
Nothing is being done.
As a devoted film enthusiast, I’ve managed to verify from reliable inside connections that the Blizzard artist who made headlines for his controversial comment about the local MAGA group remains safe and sound.
Outrageous. Imagine if he had said this about the Left.
Completely one sided HR policies which have “zero tolerance” for this type of…
— Grummz (@Grummz) February 4, 2025
Currently, it seems like Hickey’s shutdown could indicate his possible departure, and it appears that Activision Blizzard might be trying to manage any negative response in a discreet manner.
One day following President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20th, Kyle Hickey wrote on Facebook, “Eliminate your nearby supporters of ‘Make America Great Again’.
In contrast to other provocative statements that are sometimes justified as satire, sarcasm, or hyperbole, Hickey’s post lacked any disclaimers – no laughter symbols, no emojis, and no explanation that it was meant humorously. The straightforward statement, advocating for violence against followers of the current U.S. president, was supported by several followers, including Max Davenport, an Associate Art Director at Gearbox Software.
Kern put a focus on Hickey’s post in the public arena by distributing screenshots and emphasizing the inconsistency in how corporations manage speech they oppose. Simultaneously, Hickey quickly disappeared from the internet, shutting down all of his social media profiles and deactivating his personal art website.
For some time now, Activision Blizzard has been conspicuously quiet, even as calls for action from gamers, industry experts, and conservative pundits have grown louder. This silence has led many to view it as yet another instance of a corporate double standard in HR policies—one where criticisms levied against left-wing groups prompt swift disciplinary action, while similar attacks on conservatives go unpunished or are tolerated instead.
At a crucial juncture for Activision Blizzard, this event occurs, given that the company has been intensifying efforts in the area of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Meanwhile, other large corporations, such as Walmart and Amazon, have started to scale back or even abandon their DEI initiatives.
On January 20, the very same day President Trump was sworn into office, Rob Kostich, head of Activision Blizzard, communicated to the entire company their continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
He emphasized in his note to the staff that this work is crucial to everything we accomplish. It’s vital to our games, our corporate identity, and who we are as a company. Our Inclusive Growth team has been instrumental in integrating inclusivity throughout our business operations. Our goal is to improve the experiences of all employees, offer top-tier experiences to players worldwide, and create accessible opportunities for those engaging with our company and brand. I’m excited about the fantastic work we’ll achieve together in the future.
Straightaway, Kern challenged Kostich’s comment, stating that Activision Blizzard’s dedication towards Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) was unintentionally creating a work environment that felt hostile to some employees, as it gave them the confidence to express extreme political views without any worry of repercussions.
Kern stated, “This is the kind of environment that Activision President Rob Kostich is cultivating by emphasizing DEI and ESG initiatives more strongly. However, it seems HR is ignoring overt demands for violence and fatalities in these studios.
At this point, it’s uncertain if Hickey was officially terminated or if disabling his Slack account was just a prelude to more internal measures. However, one thing is certain: the decision seems to indicate that Activision Blizzard may have felt compelled to act following prolonged public scrutiny regarding the situation.
However, one can ponder: If individuals such as Kern hadn’t pushed for change, would the action even have been taken? Some argue that without public scrutiny on Hickey’s post, Activision Blizzard might have let this issue pass undetected, allowing another instance of ideological extremism to persist within their company unchallenged.
For his part, Kern is persisting with unwavering determination. He has already advocated for refraining from playing “Call of Duty” until Activision Blizzard not just eliminates Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), but also publicly disavows the toxic corporate culture it has fostered.
Kern stated, “It’s high time to stop playing Call of Duty until they eliminate Discrimination, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from Activision and their President rescinds the harmful program.” He added, “With employees expressing desires for harm towards MAGA supporters and a President persisting with DEI, Americans deserve superior quality games and game developers that uphold better values.
Under growing pressure and intense observation, this recent event might just signal the start of a broader accountability phase for Activision Blizzard. The gaming world is poised to keep a keen eye on subsequent events.
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2025-02-10 18:55