Activision threatened, spied on workers amid union drive, U.S. agency says

FILE PHOTO: A view shows Blizzard Entertainment's campus, after Microsoft Corp announced the purchase of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in the biggest gaming industry deal in history, in Irvine, California, U.S., January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake

(Reuters) - Activision Blizzard Inc violated U.S. labor law by illegally surveilling employees during a walkout and threatening to shut down internal chat channels as a union sought to organize its workers, a federal labor agency said on Friday.

A National Labor Relations Board spokeswoman said that unless Activision settles, the agency will issue a complaint against the company involving employees of its subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment Inc based in California and three other states.