Former Activision studio chief questions leadership's future

Paul Reiche, the former head of Activision studio Toys for Bob, is questioning the path forward for current Activision leadership, amid calls for CEO Bobby Kotick to resign.

Why it matters: Activision's current studio heads have not commented on this week's explosive allegations in the Wall Street Journal that Kotick knew of sexual misconduct at the company.

• "If the new stories I have read are true, I can't see how Activision can continue its success without new leadership," Reiche told Axios.
• "How far down that goes depends on what we learn about the behavior of those leaders," he added.

The big picture: Nearly 1,600 employees have signed a petition calling for Kotick to step down, but the company's board has stood by him.

• Reiche is no longer at Activision. He sold the studio he co-founded to Activision in 2005 and ran it through its heyday, overseeing the "Skylanders" franchise. But he left the company last year.

What he's saying: "It’s pretty clear that the only forces that can create change at Activision are its customers (whose money is the ultimate corporate goal), its investors and the employees whose talent makes Activision’s games worth buying."

• "Then you need brave and visionary individuals within the company and investors to stand up, speak out and become the fulcrum for the power in all the other employees and customers."
• "I believe these ingredients for change exist at Activision."