Facing an employee walkout, Activision Blizzard CEO says his company's response to lawsuit was 'tone deaf'

Activision Blizzard's CEO Bobby Kotick admitted that the gaming company's response to a California discrimination lawsuit was "tone deaf" amid a growing employee backlash and accusations of a "frat boy" work culture.

"Every voice matters — and we will do a better job of listening now, and in the future," Kotick said in a note to employees on Tuesday. "I am sorry that we did not provide the right empathy and understanding." Kotick's response comes as hundreds of employees gear up for a walkout on Wednesday to pressure the company to do more to address a host of issues including unequal pay, gender discrimination and harassment.