Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, recently slammed his ex-EA counterpart, John Riccitiello, labeling him "the worst CEO in video games" during a podcast interview on Grit. While acknowledging EA's superior business stability compared to Activision's, Kotick stated that he'd gladly have paid to keep Riccitiello in the CEO role indefinitely. This, he clarified, wasn't a personal attack but stemmed from a fear that Bing Gordon, EA's former chief creative officer, might assume leadership.

Riccitiello's departure from EA in 2013 followed a period of financial setbacks and layoffs. His subsequent tenure at Unity Technologies, from 2014 to 2023, also faced controversy, including a public apology to developers for his insensitive remarks regarding microtransactions.

Kotick revealed that EA had made multiple attempts to acquire Activision Blizzard, highlighting EA's perceived business strength.

Kotick's own leadership at Activision Blizzard, while financially successful culminating in Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition in 2023, was also marked by significant controversy, including allegations of sexism and a toxic work environment. While these allegations were investigated, the California Civil Rights Department ultimately settled with Activision Blizzard for $54 million in December 2023, stating that no court or independent investigation substantiated claims of widespread sexual harassment or improper board actions regarding workplace misconduct.

The interview also saw Kotick offer his harsh critique of Universal's 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen."