Blizzard Activision have changed their tune in a lawsuit that has seen execs including CEO Bobby Kotick subpoenaed.

The company – publishers of gaming icons Call Of Duty and World Of Warcraft – are in the eye of a legal storm brought about by an investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into the way they’ve handled allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct.

The SEC want documents, including personal files, meeting minutes and separation agreements from as far back as 2019. They’re also after communications between Kotick and execs about sexual harassment complaints.

This all stems from a lawsuit filed against Blizzard Activision by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing in July, alleging women were sexually harassed and regularly paid less, most often at Blizzard Entertainment.

Blizzard president J. Allen Brack has since stepped down and other employees have quit.

When the lawsuit was first filed, Activision Blizzard said information in it was “distorted”. However, they are now “cooperating with the SEC,” with Kotick saying the initial response was “tone-deaf”