A federal judge approved a settlement today in Activision Blizzard‘s sexual harassment lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The game publisher will pay out $18 million to a relief fund for those affected by harassment or discrimination.
In order for employees to receive relief from the settlement, they must file a claim about discrimination or harassment they’ve faced while working with the company. According to a press release from Activision last year, “Any amounts not used for claimants will be divided between charities that advance women in the video game industry or promote awareness around harassment and gender equality issues as well as company diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, as approved by the EEOC.”
This is not the only lawsuit or censure the company is facing — the complaint from the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is still pending. However, as Washington Post writer Shannon Liao noted, this could prevent the DFEH from seeking further damages against Activision Blizzard. $18 million is also a relatively small amount for Activision Blizzard, as the company earned $2.16 billion in Q4 2021.
In addition to the monetary compensation, Activision Blizzard must mandate sexual harassment training and offer more mental health counseling. It must also appoint a third-party equal opportunity expert that will report on its “training programs, investigation policies, disciplinary framework, and compliance” to the EEOC.