A US judge has approved an $18m settlement between Activision Blizzard and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, bringing one of several discrimination lawsuits against the gaming company to a close. During a hearing on Tuesday, US district judge Dale Fischer said she would give final approval to the settlement after Activision and the EEOC made various tweaks she requested last week. The maker of Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and other popular video games still faces suits filed by additional former employees, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), and shareholders accusing the company of widespread sex discrimination. Fischer on Tuesday also rejected a renewed effort to intervene in the case by the DFEH, which filed its own suit against Activision months before the EEOC and argued the settlement could hurt its own case. EEOC spokeswoman Nicole St Germain said the agency was pleased that Fischer said she would approve the settlement.

Blizzard employees will halt work, citing the company's statements on the lawsuit and an internal email from Activision Blizzard Chief Compliance Officer Frances Townsend, which had called the lawsuit claims "a distorted and untrue picture of our company." While the workforce is mostly remote during the coronavirus pandemic, at least 50 employees plan to meet at the front of the Blizzard Campus, multiple current employees confirmed to The Washington Post. The walkout will start at 10 a.m. Pacific time, and is estimated to end at 2 p.m.