Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is said to have been aware of sexual misconduct complaints at the video game company for years. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Kotick neglected to notify the company's board of directors of "all he knew" about certain occurrences, including a 2018 settlement with a former employee at one of Activision's studios who was reportedly raped by a supervisor.

An Activision Blizzard representative stated that the story portrays the firm and its CEO in a false light, adding that "instances of sexual misbehavior that were brought to [Kotick's] notice were acted upon."

Activision Blizzard, the game publisher behind popular franchises such as World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Call of Duty, has been under fire since this summer when the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued the company for its "frat boy" workplace culture, which included allegations of discrimination and harassment.

In September, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged the corporation with breaching employees' civil rights by exposing them to sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, and retaliation. Activision Blizzard soon reached an agreement with the EEOC for $18 million.

Amid the turbulence, Blizzard CEO J. Allen Brack resigned, and more than 20 workers were dismissed following investigations into allegations of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation within the firm.

Activision Blizzard announced improvements to its workplace culture in October, including a new "zero tolerance" harassment policy and the elimination of mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment and discrimination allegations. Kotick also stated that he would lower his salary to $62,500 to ensure that "every available resource" was used to enhance the workplace. Shareholders allegedly approved a $155 million compensation plan for Kotick earlier this year.

The extensive piece, which cites unidentified individuals as well as internal corporate emails and records, also includes allegations of harassment against Kotick and other executives at Activision-owned studios.

It also revealed Jen Oneal, co-head of Blizzard Entertainment, is departing the firm just months after taking on the post alongside former Xbox executive Mike Ybarra.

According to the WSJ, in an email sent to Activision's legal team in September, Oneal stated that she had been sexually harassed earlier in her employment at the game company and was being paid less than her male co-head.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Activision Blizzard board of directors said they remain confident in Kotick's leadership. 

"Under Bobby Kotick's leadership the company is already implementing industry-leading changes including a zero-tolerance harassment policy, a dedication to achieving significant increases to the percentages of women and non-binary people in our workforce, and significant internal and external investments to accelerate opportunities for diverse talent," reads the statement. "The board remains confident that Bobby Kotick appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention."

Kotick also shared a video message with the company's employees, a transcript of which was released on Activision's site. Though not directly naming The Wall Street Journal, he said an article Tuesday "paints an inaccurate and misleading view of our company, of me personally, and my leadership." He reiterated that he's committed to an inclusive workplace.