Bobby Kotick Explained
Bobby Kotick |
Birth Place: | United States |
Birth Name: | Robert A. Kotick |
Education: | University of Michigan |
Occupation: | Businessman |
Former CEO of Activision Blizzard |
Term: | 1991-2023 |
Children: | 3 |
Robert A. Kotick (born 1963) is an American businessman who served as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Activision Blizzard and previously Activision from 1991 to 2023. He became the CEO of Activision after purchasing a company stake the previous year. Kotick engineered a merger between Activision and Vivendi Games during the late 2000s, which led to the creation of Activision Blizzard in 2008 and him being named the company's inaugural CEO. He has also served on several boards, including The Coca-Cola Company from 2012 to 2022, and Yahoo! from 2003 to 2008.[1] [2] Following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft, Kotick retired from the company on December 29, 2023.
Early life and education
Robert A. Kotick was born in 1963 in the United States, and grew up in New York.[3] His interest in business began at an early age. In junior high school, Kotick had his own business cards, and in high school, he ran a business renting out Manhattan clubs on off nights. He studied art history at the University of Michigan in the early 1980s.[4]
Career
Early career
While Kotick was still a student in 1983 at the University of Michigan, he started a software company called Arktronics with friend Howard Marks in their dorm room.[5] He and his roommate developed a software called Jane for the Apple II. During his second year, Kotick convinced Steve Wynn to invest $300,000 in his startup.[6] Steve Jobs met with Kotick and convinced him to drop out of college. Kotick took the advice and left the University of Michigan to focus on building his company.[7]
In 1987, Kotick tried to acquire Commodore International. He planned to remove the keyboard and disk drive from the Amiga 500 and turn it into a video game system. He was unsuccessful in persuading Commodore's then-Chairman Irving Gould to sell control of the company.
In June 1990, Kotick became CEO of Leisure Concepts, Nintendo's third-party licensing agent. In December 1990, Kotick sold his stake in Leisure Concepts and purchased a 25% stake in the almost-bankrupt Activision, then known as Mediagenic, with business partner Brian Kelly. In 1991, Kotick changed the name back to Activision, performed a full restructuring of the company, and refocused the company on making and marketing video games.[8] Kotick became CEO of Activision in February 1991.[9] [10] From 1997 to 2003, Activision acquired nine development studios and released its first hit game in 1995.
At Activision, Kotick set out to build "an institutional quality, well-managed company with a focus on the independent developer." In a June 14, 2010, interview with gaming blog Kotaku, Kotick stated, "…[P]art of the whole philosophy of Activision was whether you're owned outright or not, if you're a studio you have control of your destiny, you could make decisions about who to hire, flexibility on what products to make, how to make them, schedules appropriate to make them, budgets."[11]
Kotick founded International Consumer Technologies. In 1995, International Consumer Technologies became a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision.[12]
Activision Blizzard
In November 2006, Kotick entered into discussion with French media conglomerate Vivendi. Through its Vivendi Games subsidiary, it owned Blizzard Entertainment and Sierra Entertainment. Kotick engineered the merger, which created a new company, Activision Blizzard.[13] Shareholders of Activision Blizzard approved Kotick as CEO of the combined company in 2008.[14] Kotick said he aimed to build on Blizzard's successes, including expanding into Asia.
Kotick has used Activision Blizzard's industry position to push partners for changes that he maintains would benefit the gaming community. In July 2009, Kotick threatened to stop making games for the PlayStation 3 platform if Sony did not cut the price of the console.[15] Kotick also urged the British government to reward Activision for continuing to invest in the country's pool of game developers by providing Activision with the same kinds of tax incentives provided by Canada, Singapore, and eastern bloc countries.[16]
Kotick expanded Activision Blizzard’s mobile presence in 2016 when it acquired King, the creator of Candy Crush.[17] He also acquired the professional esports organization Major League Gaming. Also in 2016, Kotick announced the creation of Activision Blizzard’s professional Overwatch League.[18] In June 2017, Fortune reported that Kotick had become "the longest-serving head of any publicly traded tech company." Under Kotick’s leadership, Activision Blizzard was named one of Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work from 2015 to 2018."[19] [20] [21] In November 2022, under Kotick's leadership, the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II broke record sales for the franchise after crossing the $1 billion mark in ten days.[22]
Litigation
In 2007, a flight attendant filed a lawsuit against Kotick, Andrew Gordon, and Cove Management, a company the two created to manage their privately owned Gulfstream III jet. She claimed that a pilot hired by Cove had sexually harassed her, and that she had been wrongfully terminated after she had reported the incidents to Gordon.[23] Cove denied the allegations and eventually settled the litigation with the flight attendant. Kotick then became involved in litigation with the law firm selected to defend him, Gordon, and Cove Management, in a dispute over legal fees. The court ruled in the firm's favor and awarded it damages.[24] [23]
In July 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) announced it had filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard due to allegations of workplace misconduct and discrimination by several employees. Kotick was not named in the suit.[25] In October 2021, Kotick asked the Activision Blizzard board to cut his salary to the lowest amount allowed by California law, and to not to receive any bonuses or be granted any equity amid lawsuits against the company.[26] In November 2021, an article from The Wall Street Journal asserted that Kotick had been aware of the past allegations, and had protected an employee who sexually harassed from being fired. The article also asserted that Kotick had threatened to kill an assistant on their voice mail. Kotick apologized, and the dispute was settled out of court.[27]
In response to the allegations, Activision's Board itself examined the claims made and retained an outside law firm and other advisors, including Gilbert F. Casellas, the former head of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, to conduct independent reviews. In June 2022, the Board filed its findings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and a summary of the independent review's findings in an 8-K filing. The Board's statement expressed confidence that Kotick "appropriately addressed workplace issues brought to his attention" and supported his efforts to lead the company,[28] [29] while others urged Kotick to resign or to be replaced in light of these allegations.[30] [31] [32] [33]
The California lawsuit was eventually settled in December 2023. The settlement agreement stated that there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the company's board, its executives, or Kotick. As part of that settlement, Activision Blizzard agreed to pay $54 million including set-asides to deal with pay and promotion inequality.[34]
Media corrections and redactions
Following the settlement, numerous publications posted corrections and redactions regarding conduct by Activision, its board, and executives.[35] [36] [37] [38] A correction by news site Engadget stated, “While the CRD lawsuit initially included allegations that Activision fostered sexual harassment, the CRD in January filed an amendment withdrawing these claims."[39]
Microsoft acquisition and retirement
In January 2022, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, making it the largest video game company acquisition. The acquisition was completed in 2023.[40] [41] [42] [43] Following the completion of the acquisition, Kotick remained with Activision Blizzard to assist with the transition until he retired from the company on December 29, 2023.[44]
Board memberships
Kotick is a non-executive director for The Coca-Cola Company and a board member at the Center for Early Education and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He previously served as a Yahoo! board member from March 2003 to August 2008.[45] [46] [47]
In 2019, Kotick's total compensation at Activision Blizzard fell to $30.1 million,[48] down from his 2018 package of $31 million in salary, bonus, perks, stock and options. 85% of his 2018 compensation came from stock and options. He was the 21st most highly compensated CEO in the United States that year. He also earned 319 times more than the average Activision Blizzard employee's salary of $97,000 in that year, putting him in 75th place among U.S. CEOs.[49] He was working under a deal signed in November 2016 with Activision Blizzard under which he earned bonuses if Activision Blizzard meets certain financial targets related to mergers and acquisitions.[50] The contract locked him in until 2021.[51]
In February 2019, the non-profit organization As You Sow ranked Kotick 45th in a list of the 100 most over-paid chief executive officers of the United States.[52] A 180% increase in Activision Blizzard's share price since March 2016 triggered an incentive bonus in Kotick's 2016 contract. Kotick was expected to receive a bonus of $200 million, which was reduced to a bonus package of $155 million following criticism.[53] [54]
Controversial statements
Some statements Kotick has made about his business strategy have garnered negative media attention. He has focused on developing intellectual property which can be, in his words, "exploited" over a long period, to the exclusion of new titles which cannot guarantee sequels.[55] [56]
During the 2009 Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference, Kotick stated that "The goal that I had in bringing a lot of the packaged goods folks into Activision about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games."[57] [58] [59] [60] Following the backlash on this comment, Kotick clarified that his remarks were intended for investors and had been taken out of context.[61]
Honors and recognition
- Ranked 50th in Vanity Fair 2016 "New Establishment List"[62]
- Ranked 75th on Harvard Business Reviews 2016 "Best Performing CEOs in the World"[63] [64]
- Ranked 24th in 2016 and 27th in 2015 on the Adweek list of "Top 100 Leaders in Media"[65] [66]
Personal life and philanthropy
A native of Long Island, New York, Kotick resides in California with his family.[67] Bobby married Nina Kotick and they have three daughters: Grace, Emily and Audrey.[68] He and his wife divorced in late 2012. Kotick dated Sheryl Sandberg from 2016 to 2019.[69] His home in Beverly Hills is filled with Abstract Expressionist art. Kotick has donated to University of Michigan sports.[70]
Kotick identifies as a libertarian and donated to the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2007 and 2008. He endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the run-up for the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[71]
In 2011, Kotick had a cameo appearance in the film Moneyball as Oakland Athletics co-owner Stephen Schott.[72]
In 2009, Kotick co-founded the Call of Duty Endowment (CODE), a non-profit benefit corporation.[73] The endowment helps soldiers transition to civilian careers after their military service by funding nonprofit organizations.[74] As of 2022, Kotick retains his position on CODE's board.[75] During the COVID-19 crisis, CODE has advocated for employing veteran medics and hospital corpsman as emergency medical technicians and paramedics.[76]
Notes and References
- Web site: Novet . Jordan . March 4, 2022 . Activision CEO Bobby Kotick will leave Coca-Cola's board before Microsoft deal closes . June 27, 2022 . CNBC . en.
- News: July 28, 2008 . Yahoo director Kotick to resign after meeting . en . Reuters . June 27, 2022.
- Web site: Activision's Unlikely Hero . Peter C. . Beller . January 15, 2009 . November 17, 2021 . . https://archive.today/20131112101426/http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0202/052.html . November 12, 2013.
- News: Chozick . Amy . December 15, 2012 . At Activision, a Hero and Villain, Zapped into One . en-US . . May 13, 2020 . 0362-4331 . https://archive.today/20211117165736/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/business/bobby-kotick-of-activision-drawing-praise-and-wrath.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0 . November 17, 2021.
- Web site: Gallagher . Dan . December 4, 2008 . Kotick changes the game at Activision Blizzard . subscription . Marketwatch.com.
- Web site: CNBC TRANSCRIPT: CNBC'S BECKY QUICK INTERVIEWS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD CEO BOBBY KOTICK FROM THE CNBC EVOLVE CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES TODAY . November 19, 2019 . CNBC . en . May 27, 2020.
- News: Yukari Iwatani Kane . June 14, 2010 . Activision CEO: Steve Jobs Convinced Me to Quit College . The Wall Street Journal . June 14, 2010.
- Nuttall, Chris (2007-10-07). "Game player with a serious goal". Financial Times. The Financial Times LTD. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
- News: Robert A. Kotick Profile . June 21, 2010 . Forbes . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100525000518/http://people.forbes.com/profile/robert-a-kotick/1126 . May 25, 2010.
- Pequeño IV, Antonio (2023-12-20). "Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Stepping Down After 32 Years With Gaming Company". Forbes. Forbes Media LLC. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
- Web site: Brian . Crecente . A Delightful Chat With the Most Hated Man in Video Games . Kotaku . June 14, 2010.
- Web site: CEO BIO: Robert A. Kotick . June 21, 2010 . Business Week . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100730181954/http://www.businessweek.com/it100/2005/executive/ATVI.htm . July 30, 2010.
- Web site: July 11, 2008 . Activision and Vivendi merge to create video games giant . June 23, 2020 . the Guardian . en.
- Web site: Investors approve Activision Blizzard merger . July 9, 2008 . Video Game Media.
- News: Sony should beware – Activision chief is not simply playing games . https://web.archive.org/web/20090708094917/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6531367.ece . dead . July 8, 2009 . Dan . Sabbagh . The Times . July 19, 2009 . London.
- Web site: Computer games industry hits at tax rethink . Maija . Palmer . Tim . Bradshaw . . June 30, 2010 . July 3, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100703153014/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6e111258-83de-11df-ba07-00144feabdc0.html . dead.
- Web site: November 29, 2016 . Don't Be Surprised When Activision Blizzard CEO Does a Big Deal . Bloomberg.
- Web site: October 20, 2016 . Activision Blizzard CEO confirms Overwatch League . ESPN.
- Activision Blizzard Aims for the Big Leagues . Fortune . June 7, 2017 .
- Web site: Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® 2018 . 2024-08-31 . Great Place To Work® . en-us.
- Web site: Minotti . Mike . 2017-03-09 . Activision Blizzard is the only game company on Fortune's list of 100 best places to work in America . 2024-08-31 . VentureBeat . en-US.
- Web site: Morris . Chris . 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II' sales surpass $1 billion in 10 days . 2024-08-31 . Fortune . en.
- News: August 2, 2010 . Video game mogul Kotick loses fight with top Hollywood litigator . Los Angeles Times .
- News: Plunkett . Luke . March 8, 2010 . Activision Boss Loses Legal Battle Over Sexual Harassment Case . Kotaku .
- Web site: Activision Blizzard Sued Over 'Frat Boy' culture, Harassment . Allsup . Maeve . July 21, 2021 . Bloomberg Law . August 2, 2021 . August 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210802155138/https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/activision-blizzard-sued-by-california-over-frat-boy-culture . live.
- Web site: Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Asks Board To Reduce His Salary And Cut Bonuses Amid Lawsuits . Eddie . Makuch . October 28, 2021 . October 28, 2021 . GameSpot.
- Web site: Activision CEO Bobby Kotick Knew for Years About Sexual-Misconduct Allegations at Videogame Giant . Kirsten . Grind . Ben . Fritz . Sarah E. . Needleman . November 16, 2021 . November 16, 2021 . The Wall Street Journal.
- Web site: Form 8-K . June 16, 2022 . www.sec.gov.
- News: Activision board says no evidence senior execs ignored harassment cases . June 16, 2022 . Reuters.
- Activision Blizzard Employees Are Done with CEO Bobby Kotick . Cecilia . D'anastasio . November 16, 2021 . November 16, 2021 . Wired.
- News: Group of Activision Blizzard shareholders joins call for CEO Bobby Kotick's resignation . Shannon . Liao . November 17, 2021 . November 17, 2021 . The Washington Post.
- News: Activision Blizzard employees petition for CEO Bobby Kotick's resignation . Shannon . Liao . November 18, 2021 . November 18, 2021 . The Washington Post.
- Web site: Over 1,000 Activision Blizzard employees petition to remove CEO Bobby Kotick . Ash . Parrish . November 18, 2021 . November 18, 2021 . The Verge.
- News: California Drops Sexual Harassment Suit in $54 Million Settlement With Activision . Andrew Ross . Sorkin . Lauren . Hirsch . December 15, 2023 . December 15, 2023 . The New York Times.
- Tassi, Paul (2024-03-14). "Bobby Kotick Wants To Buy TikTok As Potential Ban Looms". Forbes. Forbes Media LLC. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- Jennings, Libby (2024-03-12). "Former Activision Boss Bobby Kotick Expressed Interest In Buying TikTok". The Indiependent. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- Sinha, Shreyas (2024-03-19). "4 Investors Who Could Buy TikTok If the US Divesting Bill Becomes Law". Observer. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- Shankar, Bradly (2024-03-11). "Ex-Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick wants to buy TikTok". MobileSyrup. ZoomerMedia. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- Macdonald, Cheyenne (2022-03-22). "Activision Blizzard's ex-CEO Bobby Kotick reportedly wants to buy TikTok". Engadget. Yahoo. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- News: Grind . Kirsten . Lombardo . Cara . Fritz . Ben . January 19, 2022 . Activision Blizzard's Workplace Problems Spurred $75 Billion Microsoft Deal . . live . January 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220119025847/https://www.wsj.com/articles/activision-blizzard-microsoft-deal-11642557922 . January 19, 2022.
- News: Bass . Dina . Lanxon . Nate . January 18, 2022 . Microsoft Buys Scandal-Tainted Activision in Bet on Metaverse . . live . January 19, 2022 . https://archive.today/20220118224215/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-18/microsoft-to-buy-activision-blizzard-in-69-billion-gaming-deal . January 18, 2022.
- Web site: Bass . Dina . Baker . Liana . January 19, 2022 . Activision Misconduct Fallout Prompted Microsoft to Pursue Deal . live . https://archive.today/20220119021935/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-19/microsoft-effort-to-buy-activision-spurred-by-misconduct-fallout-at-gamemaker . January 19, 2022 . January 19, 2022 . Bloomberg News.
- Tilley, Aaron (2022-01-18). "Microsoft to Buy Activision Blizzard in All-Cash Deal Valued at $75 Billion". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
- Web site: Parrish . Ash . December 20, 2023 . Microsoft announces more Xbox leadership changes as Activision's Bobby Kotick departs . December 20, 2023 . The Verge . en.
- Web site: It's a done deal: Icahn on Yahoo board . September 27, 2008 . CNET . August 6, 2008 . October 10, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081010223502/http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10008598-93.html . dead.
- Web site: Are You the Next Yahoo! CEO? . September 27, 2008 . The Motley Fool . June 17, 2008.
- Web site: Coca-Cola – Press Center – Press Releases – Board Elects Robert A. Kotick as Director . October 30, 2013 . February 20, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190220004332/https://www.coca-colacompany.com/press-center/press-releases/the-board-of-directors-of-the-coca-cola-company-elects-robert-a-kotick-as-director#TCCC . dead.
- Web site: Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick's Pay Falls to $30.1M in 2019 . June 23, 2020 . The Hollywood Reporter . April 24, 2020 . en.
- News: Russell . Karl . Williams . Josh . May 24, 2019 . The Highest-Paid C.E.O.s of 2018: A Year So Lucrative, We Had to Redraw Our Chart . en-US . The New York Times . June 23, 2020 . 0362-4331.
- Web site: November 25, 2016 . Activision Blizzard's Kotick set for stock windfall . Financial Times.
- News: November 29, 2016 . Don't Be Surprised When Activision Blizzard CEO Does a Big Deal . Bloomberg .
- Web site: February 25, 2019 . Bobby Kotick and Andrew Wilson make the list of most overpaid U.S. CEOs . June 23, 2020 . VentureBeat . en-US.
- Web site: Activision Chief Bobby Kotick's Stock Bonus Condemned by Investment Group . March 21, 2021 . www.yahoo.com . March 19, 2021 . en-US.
- Web site: Yin-Poole . Wesley . June 22, 2021 . Activision Blizzard boss Bobby Kotick's $155m pay package approved by shareholders . January 18, 2022 . Eurogamer . en.
- Web site: Activision: if we can't run a game into the ground, we don't want it . November 7, 2008 . Ars Technica . November 6, 2008.
- Web site: Activision Blizzard SF2Q09 (Qtr End 9/30/08) Earnings Call Transcript . October 20, 2009 . . November 5, 2008.
- Web site: Kuchera . Ben . September 15, 2009 . ActiBlizzard CEO Bobby Kotick: reward profit, remove fun . December 19, 2021 . Ars Technica . en-us.
- Web site: September 15, 2009 . Bobby Kotick takes "the fun out of making videogames" . December 19, 2021 . That VideoGame Blog . en-US.
- Web site: Activision CEO on Plans to 'Take All the Fun Out of Making Video Games,' Go Beyond Consoles . December 19, 2021 . Shacknews . September 15, 2009 . en.
- Web site: Sinclair . Brendan . February 15, 2019 . Activision Blizzard, Where Massive Layoffs Are a First Resort . January 18, 2022 . USgamer . en . January 18, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220118183118/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/activision-blizzard-where-massive-layoffs-are-a-first-resort . dead.
- Web site: Bobby Kotick, Warm and Fuzzy, Defends Notorious No-Fun Statements . December 19, 2021 . Kotaku . February 18, 2010 . en-us.
- The New Establishment . Primack . Dan . Coyne . Marley . 2016 . Vanity Fair . December 24, 2018 . Nguyen . Tina.
- Web site: Harvard Business Review ranks Nvidia boss Jen-Hsun Huang as a top 10 best-performing CEO . October 11, 2016 . VentureBeat . December 24, 2018.
- The Best-Performing CEOs in the World . November 1, 2016 . Harvard Business Review . December 24, 2018.
- Web site: Adweek's Power List 2016: The Top 100 Leaders in Marketing, Media and Tech . Adweek . May 23, 2016 . December 24, 2018.
- Web site: Activision's Bobby Kotick, EA's Andrew Wilson make Adweek's top 100 leaders in media . June 1, 2015 . VentureBeat . December 24, 2018.
- Web site: Game Boy . Kevin . Maney . Portfolio.com . April 10, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110808160648/http://www.portfolio.com/executives/features/2008/04/10/Interview-With-Activision-CEO/index.html . August 8, 2011.
- Web site: New York Times . March 26, 2005 . Paid Notice: Deaths KOTICK, CHARLES M. . https://web.archive.org/web/20150529194311/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/26/classified/paid-notice-deaths-kotick-charles-m.html . May 29, 2015.
- Web site: People . Helen . Murphy . Charlotte . Triggs . May 17, 2019 . Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and Video Game Billionaire Bobby Kotick Split After 3 Years of Dating . https://web.archive.org/web/20190518054614/https://people.com/human-interest/sheryl-sandberg-bobby-kotick-split/ . May 18, 2019.
- Web site: Angelique S. . Chengelis . May 2, 2018 . Jim Harbaugh reveals donors behind UM's European vacations . Detroit News . December 10, 2018.
- News: Melanie . Mason . Maloy . Moore . Anthony . Pesce . Thomas Suh . Lauder . The Hollywood heavyweights funding the 2016 presidential fight . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20151110023553/http://graphics.latimes.com/2016-election-entertainment-donors/ . November 10, 2015 . The Los Angeles Times . October 22, 2015.
- Web site: Bond . Paul . June 22, 2011 . 'Moneyball': Activision Blizzard's Bobby Kotick Plays Baseball Mogul in Film (Video) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160518153905/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moneyball-activision-blizzards-bobby-kotick-204635 . May 18, 2016 . July 5, 2020 . The Hollywood Reporter.
- Book: Meyer, Thomas . 2017 . https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/docs/default-source/guidebook-files/uniformchampions_gb_case1.pdf?sfvrsn=d8bea740_0 . A Gamer Puts Vets to Work: The Call of Duty Endowment separates potent nonprofits from also-rans . Uniform Champions: A Wise Giver's Guide to Excellent Assistance for Veterans . Philanthropy Roundtable . 18 . June 5, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210605102119/https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/docs/default-source/guidebook-files/uniformchampions_gb_case1.pdf?sfvrsn=d8bea740_0 . dead.
- Web site: Dean . Takahashi . December 5, 2019 . Call of Duty Endowment and U.S. Army create Code Bowl esports event for armed forces . July 1, 2020 . VentureBeat . en-US.
- Web site: Call of Duty Endowment . Leadership . June 27, 2022 . en.
- News: Miller . Hawken . May 22, 2020 . As veterans face heightened unemployment risk, 'Call of Duty' lends a hand . July 24, 2020 . Washington Post . en.