A federal judge in Los Angeles is expected to approve a settlement worth $18 million in a case involving video game giant Activision Blizzard, Inc. and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The case began in July 2021 when the video game company was sued by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DEFH) for allegedly creating a hostile work environment. This included allegations related to gender discrimination and sexual harassment. US District Judge Dale Fischer ruled in the order that the settlement agreement was adequate, but asked the company and the EEOC to provide more information before granting final approval. The DEFH is the state-level representative of the EEOC. Last year, DFEH appealed Fischer’s ruling, denying his motion to intervene in the case and object to the settlement. In the current order, Fischer cited his earlier decision, writing that “many of the statements in (DFEH’s) objections are simply inaccurate, based on speculation, or address issues that DFEH should not be concerned about.” was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, several women stepped forward to improve and confirm the accusations made against the company. The suit followed a three-year investigation by the EEOC, which revealed the issues presented to the court. A complaint filed in September 2021 showed that the type of behavior condemned by the EEOC continued to exist within the company and company culture after the results of the investigation were presented. Women who worked at Activision Blizzard compared working for the company to living in a “frat house” and claimed that male employees were allowed to drink alcohol on the job and harass women both sexually and verbally without repercussion from President J Allen Brack. The lawsuit alleged that Brack was not only aware of the behavior within the company, but actively took steps to allow the discrimination and harassment to continue. Many employees named in the lawsuit engaged in open and obvious sexual harassment, with employees even admitting to calling Brack’s office the “Cosby suite” named after Bill Cosby. A severely attacked and harassed former employee reportedly committed suicide. In addition to sexual harassment, numerous complaints involved acts of discrimination from senior management in the company. One manager said he couldn’t risk giving female employees promotions, as they might become pregnant and choose to stay home with their children. Similar to that, there were reports of pay discrimination between divisions within the company. As part of this settlement, the company agreed to create a fund “to compensate and redress eligible claimants.” The company also agreed to enhance training tools to improve workplace policies and practices, along with hiring an equal employment opportunity coordinator to monitor internal practices. The company will bring in a neutral outside consultant approved by the EEOC. The court was satisfied with the monetary relief provided and found the non-monetary provisions to be “fair, reasonable and adequate”. Activision Blizzard has stated that it remains dedicated to eliminating all discrimination and harassment within the company.