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Opinion
Tae Kim

Is America’s Biggest Video Game Maker Losing Its Magic?

If the next installment of Call of Duty doesn’t dazzle gamers, Activision Blizzard will have to fix more than its unhappy workplace culture.

Can the next Call of Duty capture the zeitgeist?

Can the next Call of Duty capture the zeitgeist?

Photographer: Troy Harvey/Bloomberg
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Activision Blizzard Inc. is under siege. The largest U.S.-based video-game publisher is facing multiple regulatory probes over its workplace culture, but it could soon have another serious problem: its games.

Back in July, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing sued the company on allegations it had failed to protect female workers from harassment. And last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission has opened an investigation into how Activision Blizzard dealt with employee discrimination issues.