Activision Blizzard announces staff vaccine mandate removal

Activision Blizzard has dodged another bullet as a US District Judge has dismissed an investor lawsuit against the gaming company.Last August, a group of Activision Blizzard investors had filed a class action lawsuit against the gaming giant, soon after the California Department Of Fair Employment And Housing (DFEH) sued the company over issues with its workplace culture.At the time, the Activision Blizzard investors claimed that the company had “made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose” a number of alleged issues, including discrimination, a “pervasive ‘frat boy’ workplace culture”, “unaddressed” complaints to HR and more.Yesterday (April 21), the class action suit was dismissed by a US District Judge, who said that the lawsuit suffered from “a lack of particularity”, per gamesindustry.biz. However, the judge also noted that the investors will be able to revise and re-file their complaint within 30 days if the issues are addressed.“To the extent plaintiffs allege that defendants must have known sexual harassment and discrimination were endemic by virtue of their respective positions at the company, the [first amended complaint] does not establish the requisite facts to support such a conclusion,” added the US District Judge.In response to the decision, a Activision Blizzard spokesperson said: “We are pleased with the court’s ruling that plaintiffs failed to establish their claims.” Activision Blizzard recently also settled another lawsuit with the U.S.

Kaytranada has announced that he’ll be heading to London this summer for a headline show at O2 Academy Brixton – get tickets here.The two-time Grammy-winning producer will head to Europe in June for a run of shows in Germany, Malta, Netherlands, France and Italy. The UK date takes place on June 19.The announcement follows the release of recent single ‘Iced Tea’ and last year’s ‘Intimidated’ EP, a three-track project that features guest appearances from H.E.R., Thundercat and Mach-Hommy.He also joined forces with IDK earlier this month for a new track called ‘Taco’, the first single to be released from the Maryland rapper’s upcoming new album ‘Simple’.See Kaytranada’s European tour announcement below; buy tickets for the London date here when they go on sale on Friday (April 22) at 10am.european tickets on sale friday 10AM GMT at https://t.co/VbJ8FbMPxa pic.twitter.com/WfsVd0ymf0— KAYTRA (@KAYTRANADA) April 20, 2022Kaytranada was recently announced as one of the openers for Swedish House Mafia’s upcoming tour.The Scandinavian dance trio – comprising Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso – released their long-awaited debut full-length ‘Paradise Again’ last week (April 15).The group will be heading out on a world tour this summer in support of the album, with Alesso, Zhu, Vintage Culture, Grimes, and Kaytranada confirmed as opening acts at various dates.

Angelique Jackson CBS Studios has set in motion two initiatives focused on providing a diverse range of emerging creators with opportunities in filmmaking and casting.First, CBS Studios has announced a new casting fellowship targeted toward BIPOC representation. Developed to address the diversity gap in the casting industry, the 10-week program allows fellows to have a fully immersive, hands-on experience working in a casting office, along with mentorship from the studio’s casting executives.The studio has also set its second cohort for the CBS Leadership Pipeline Challenge, which arms 35 early-career storytellers with $5,000 budgets to make mission-inspired short films.“We always strive to create opportunities for prospective executives… In only its second year, this inclusive program is helping us grow an even more vibrant and motivated studio team,” CBS Studios President David Stapf said of the initiatives conceived by casting executives Lori Erickson and Rob Decina.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFrom the T.S.A. to the Coachella festival, from your local supermarket to your local music club, mask and vaccination mandates continue to fall across the country, in the face of all credible scientific evidence that yet another coronavirus surge is not only taking place, but raging.

High street retailer Boots has followed in the footsteps of supermarket giant Aldi and announced a ban one of its most commonly used items. It is now calling for other retailers to do the same.

Hot Chip have announced details of their new album ‘Freakout/Release’ – you can hear their new single ‘Down’ below.The forthcoming record will be the follow-up to the five-piece’s ‘A Bath Full Of Ecstasy’, which was released back in June 2019.Hot Chip’s eighth studio album ‘Freakout/Release’ will be released on August 19 via Domino. Written and recorded in the band’s Relax & Enjoy studio in east London, the making of the album was particularly inspired by the band’s regular live cover of Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage’.“The idea of being out of control is always there in dance music, in a positive sense,” Hot Chip’s Al Doyle said in a press release in relation to the cover’s influence on the new album, with frontman Alexis Taylor adding: “By the time we were able to be back together, we were turning on a tap and having a lot of ideas being poured out quite quickly.”In regards to the lyrical themes of ‘Freakout/Release’, Joe Goddard said: “We were living through a period where it was very easy to feel like people were losing control of their lives in different ways. There’s a darkness that runs through a lot of those tracks.”‘Down’, the first single from ‘Freakout/Release’, has been released today (April 19), and you can watch the Douglas Hart and Steve Mackey-directed video for the track above.‘Freakout/Release’ also features contributions from Soulwax, Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon and the London-based DJ and musician Lou Hayter.You can see the tracklist and album artwork for Hot Chip’s ‘Freakout/Release’ below.1. ‘Down’2. ‘Eleanor’3. ‘Freakout/Release’4. ‘Broken’5. ‘Not Alone’6. ‘Hard To Be Funky’ (feat. Lou Hayter)7. ‘Time’8. ‘Miss The Blues’9. ‘The Evil That Men Do’ (feat. Cadence Weapon)10. ‘Guilty’11. ‘Out Of My Depth’Ho

Swedish House Mafia have announced Grimes and Kaytranada as openers for their upcoming tour – find tickets here.The Scandinavian dance trio of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso released their long-awaited debut full-length ‘Paradise Again’ last week (April 15).Speaking to NME about ‘Paradise Again’ back in November, SHM said that the record would serve as “an invitation into our world”.In a four-star review of the new album, NME said: “Swedish House Mafia’s debut album sees the trio flexing their musical and emotional muscles across 17 brilliant, fearless and often surprising tracks. The kings of dance music are very much back.”The group will be heading out on a world tour this summer in support of ‘Paradise Again’, with Alesso, Zhu, Vintage Culture, Grimes, and Kaytranada confirmed as opening acts at various dates.

The Broadway League has announced that while the owners and operators of all 41 Broadway venues will requires audiences to mask up at least through May 31, many theaters will no longer check vaccination status after April 30.

Activision Blizzard.On Tuesday (April 12), Melanie Proctor, assistant chief counsel at California’s DFEH, resigned.In an email (thanks, Bloomberg), Proctor said her resignation was in protest of her boss – chief counsel Janette Wipper – being fired by California governor Gavin Newsom.Proctor alleged that in recent weeks, Newsom and his office “began to interfere” with the DFEH’s lawsuit against Activision Blizzard.“The office of the governor repeatedly demanded advance notice of litigation strategy and of next steps in the litigation,” said Proctor, who also alleged that “as we continued to win in state court, this interference increased, mimicking the interests of Activision’s counsel.”Proctor added that Wipper had “attempted to protect” the DFEH’s independence, which she claims resulted in her being “abruptly terminated”.The lawyer said her own resignation is “in protest of the interference and Janette’s termination,” and went on to say that “justice should be administered equally, not favouring those with political influence.”A spokesperson for Newsom has responded, stating “claims of interference by our office are categorically false”.A spokesperson for Wipper has also commented, claiming the lawyer is “evaluating all avenues of legal recourse,” over her termination, including “a claim under the California Whistleblower Protection Act”.Though Activision Blizzard recently settled a lawsuit with the U.S.

Call Of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone Season 3 will begin later this month, as confirmed by a new trailer.Called “Classified Arms,” an announcement yesterday (April 13) confirmed that Season 3 will launch on April 27. The official cinematic trailer for Vanguard and Warzone Season 3 can be watched below.Whilst nothing has been confirmed just yet, many players think Season 3 will include a crossover with Legendary’s MonsterVerse – which includes the likes of Godzilla and King Kong – thanks to a noise heard at the end of the trailer.At the 1:14 mark in the trailer, a noise that’s nearly identical to the Orca from the MonsterVerse movies can be heard.

Bloomberg, Proctor’s resignation also comes in protest over the Governor firing her boss, Chief Counsel Janette Wipper, who’d previously resigned from the case, and whom Proctor has said “attempted to protect” the agency’s independence throughout the suit.In late July 2021, a suit was brought against Activision Blizzard by the DFEH, after allegations emerged of workplace discrimination and sexual harassment.In an email to staff explaining her resignation, reviewed by Bloomberg, Proctor asserted that Newsom and his office “began to interfere” with the Activision suit, as they “repeatedly demanded advance notice of litigation strategy and of next steps in the litigation.” Proctor also alleged that, “as we continued to win in state court, this interference increased, mimicking the interests of Activision’s counsel.”Both Wipper and Proctor had already stepped down from the Activision suit earlier this month, though no explanation as to why was given.Newsom’s communications director Erin Mellon, said in a statement to Bloomberg that “claims of interference by our office are categorically false” and that the Newsom’s office “will continue to support DFEH in their efforts to fight all forms of discrimination and protect Californians.”TheWrap has reached out to the Governor’s office for comment.

Canadian Screen Week continues, with the Canadian Academy announcing more winners of the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards.

Overwatch 2 suggests that the upcoming shooter will include a battle Pass system.As reported by Attack of the Fanboy (via EuroGamer), Jayson Kirby – senior UI artist at Blizzard – recently shared some screenshots which showcased screenshots of Overwatch 2‘s in-game menus.One screenshot in particular – which shows “early conceptual work for the new Overwatch 2 main menu” – details a ‘battle pass’ option. Though much may have changed since the concept art was designed – and Blizzard is yet to confirm any sort of battle pass for Overwatch 2 – it does suggest that the sequel to Overwatch will include the system.A battle pass typically comes in the form of a real-money purchase that allows players to complete challenges in return for cosmetic and in-game currency unlocks.

Activision Blizzard has removed the Covid-19 staff vaccine mandate, the company has changed its decision.Employees protested the decision, which no longer required them to have the Covid-19 vaccine in order to return to the office.

Blizzard itself, the name and theme of the next World Of Warcraft expansion may have been revealed.Thanks to a public source code update on the official World Of Warcraft website, it appears as though the massively multiplayer online (MMO) game’s next expansion will be called “Dragonflight” (via Wowhead).This is supported by the mention of Base, Heroic and Epic purchase options for Dragonflight in the website’s public source code, as World Of Warcraft’s last expansion, Shadowlands, also has these three purchase options.The public source code also points to the website dragonflight.blizzard.com – which is currently inactive – and as Wowhead notes, this website appears to have been certified last week.Official news of the game’s next expansion will be coming soon, as Blizzard confirmed last month that it will be revealed on April 19, saying: “We’re excited to show you what we’ve been working on and where your adventures in Azeroth will go next.”This supposed Dragonflight expansion may be released in 2022, as since 2008’s Wrath Of the Lich King expansion for World Of Warcraft each expansion has been released two years apart. That said, the pandemic’s impact may have pushed the release back into 2023, and there’s no confirmed release date yet.Activision Blizzard is currently mired by misconduct allegations that surfaced in the middle of last year, and since Microsoft announced it was acquiring the company, multiple US Senators have accused the Xbox-owner of protecting Activision Blizzard’s CEO Bobby Kotick.Activision Blizzard also settled a federal lawsuit last month for around £13.7million, although it is still involved in other legal proceedings at this time.

Broadway will maintain its mask and vaccine requirements through April 30, the Broadway League announced today.

. On Wednesday, HBO announced that the franchise’s prequel series,, will debut Sunday, Aug. 21.

Activision Blizzard has settled its lawsuit with the U.S.

Sex Pistols have announced details of a new 20-track compilation – get all the details on ‘The Original Recordings’ below.The new release, set to come out on May 27 via UMG, collates 20 of the band’s biggest hits from their iconic 1976-78 era, when they became the most exciting band on the planet.‘The Original Recordings’ is coming out as a companion to Pistol, Danny Boyle’s new Disney+ series on the Sex Pistols, which received a May 31 release date yesterday.See mock-ups of the new release and its full tracklist below. It’s available to pre-order on CD, LP and cassette formats.1. ‘Pretty Vacant’ 2. ‘God Save The Queen’ 3. ‘Bodies’ 4. ‘No Feelings’ 5. ‘I Wanna Be Me’ 6. ‘Anarchy In The UK’ 7. ‘Submission’ 8. ‘No Fun’ 9. ‘(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone’ 10. ‘Holidays In The Sun’ 11. ‘New York’ 12. ‘Problems’ 13. ‘Lonely Boy’ 14. ‘Silly Thing’ 15. ‘Something Else’ 16. ‘C’Mon Everybody’ 17. ‘Satellite’ 18. ‘Did You No Wrong’ 19. ‘Substitute’ 20. ‘My Way’Created and written by Craig Pearce and directed by Danny Boyle, the six-episode series Pistol is based on Steve Jones‘ memoir Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol and boasts a cast of newcomers, including Toby Wallace as Jones, Jacob Slater as Paul Cook, Anson Boon as John Lydon and Christian Lees as Glen Matlock.Pistol also features Louis Partridge as Sid Vicious, Sydney Chandler as Chrissie Hynde, Talulah Riley as Vivienne Westwood, Maisie Williams as punk icon Jordan, Emma Appleton as Nancy Spungen and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Malcolm McLaren.An official synopsis for Pistol, described as being about “a rock and roll revolution”, reads: “The furious, raging storm at the centre of this revolution are the Sex Pistols– and at the centre of this series is Sex Pistols’ founding

The settlement, which was first arranged between Activision and EEOC in September, will establish an $18 million settlement fund for any current or former ABK employee that wishes to file a claim over incidents of abuse, harassment and/or retaliation suffered while working at the video game developer. Leftover funds would be donated to charities that provide opportunities for women in game design as well as used towards the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives which must be further developed as part of the settlement.