From inter-collegiate competitive leagues to laid-back tournaments, the club’s different playing styles allow every member to find their place.

Christopher Nagel, a sophomore aerospace engineering major and co-leader of the club, said the club participates in online collegiate leagues, where students from other colleges form their own teams with their club members and compete head-to-head.

“[Students] start up these leagues. They invite schools to play along, and each school just forms a team, and then we all organize and play,” Nagel said. “There were 80 [schools] last year that participated, so that’s a pretty big crowd.”

The club played in Division 1 status last semester. This university has been a fierce competitor, winning against teams from colleges like the University of California, Los Angeles.

Although all members strive to be tournament champions, for some students, the club is a hopeful reminder to push through the week for rewarding gaming time on Friday.

Senior computer science major Andy Diep said playing Mario Kart can bring back fun childhood memories.

“[It] can really bring the feeling of nostalgia,” Diep said. “[It helps] remind yourself that college is not just all about schoolwork,”

[Students are nuts for UMD’s squirrel watching club]

Instead of competing at his house, he’s now one of many students bringing their skills to Mario Kart club’s weekly tournament. By Friday evening, Stamp’s Baltimore Room is filled with the sight of huddled players, wide monitor screens and combative energy fueling the fire of the tournaments. Students scramble their fingers across joysticks trying to pass their opponents.

Anyone can join in, from those just dabbling with the game to people playing since childhood. The winner earns the title of tournament champion until the next meeting.

Arvin Oruganti, a junior computer science major, said everyone can find their own level of commitment in the club.

“Mario Kart club has everything. You have both the competitive side, but you can also show up here as more of a casual thing,” Oruganti said.

[UMD community members gather to celebrate annual Diwali festival]

Juan Leon, a sophomore economics major, said the club’s competitive side is thrilling, where members are ready to take each other down.

“It’s a solo game, so you want to win,” Leon said.

Oruganti said he sees the club as a means of advancement by building connections and learning through casual competition with fellow members.

“It’s not about competing. For me personally, it’s more about improving myself,” Oruganti said.

Nagel said he’s played Mario Kart since childhood, starting on a Nintendo Wii and DS. The club appeals to a lot of different students because of the connections it forms, he added.

“It’s fun to come out and meet like-minded people who also enjoy this game … just having a blast,” Nagel said.

Good Coffee, Great Coffee

A sequel to Good Pizza, Great Pizza, this game is immediately recognizable for its cute, aesthetic design. You own a coffee shop and make customers espressos, lattes and americanos. As the barista, you are judged for your timeliness in delivering orders. Good Coffee, Great Coffee will put you in an almost meditative state and  you can pick up real life Starbucks-esque tips and tricks for using portafilters and pouring latte art.  

[El Gran Combo panel brings acclaimed Latinx authors to UMD]

Papa’s Cupcakeria

This Cool Math Games staple will bring back all the middle school nostalgia. From baking to decorating the cupcakes with an array of sprinkles and syrups, Papa’s Cupcakeria is my favorite. Although a little more stressful than Good Coffee, Great Coffee since you’re handling multiple customers and risk burning cupcakes, the game remains a relaxing pastime. If desserts aren’t your thing, pick from the other sweet and savory Papa’s games, such as Papa’s Sushiria, Donuteria or even Grilled Cheeseria. 

The New York Times Connections

The college classic. This daily game is an absolute must-have for students bored in their lecture halls. Sixteen tiles contain seemingly random words, and it’s your job to sort them into categories. Some are unbelievably hard, such as “Starting With Rock Bands” while others more obvious including “Pizza Toppings.” The game might be confusing at first, but once you play it a couple times a week you’ll get the hang of it. Connections will quickly become your new favorite word game — and maybe even knock Wordle off the top spot. 

Sporcle

While not a singular game, this website is home to thousands of quizzes — with topics ranging from geography to literature to movies —  all created by users. Sporcle has every topic imaginable, no matter how niche. You can identify iconic movies based on one frame or match literary characters to their famous novels. If you’re looking for something a little less cerebral, try a fast food logo quiz or a “Real Soda or Not” test. 

[Step into spring with these 6 seasonal tracks ]

Airplane Chefs

Though this game is probably better played on a phone or tablet because of its fast pace, Airplane Chefs is an amazing way to take your mind off school stress. Working as a flight attendant, players juggle the passengers’ wants and needs to keep them happy. 

While you start off with basic tasks such as doling out pretzel mix, climbing the ranks increases the tension. As mundane as passing out neck pillows, collecting trash or distributing water bottles may sound, the multitasking component of Airplane Chefs will be sure to distract you and redirect your stress to another direction — or airplane cabin. 

With Rocket League on Mondays, Overwatch 2 on Tuesdays, Valorant on Wednesdays and League of Legends or Fortnite on Saturdays, UMD Esports producers and organizers are always hard at work.

The group officially launched as a university-supported organization in March 2022. There are nine teams: five “premier,” which are higher-level competitive teams, and four “academy” teams who train to eventually join the premier tier.

The teams compete in multiple circuits, including the National Association of Collegiate Esports, and against other non-collegiate teams across the country.

They hired their current director, Sergio Brack, in April. Brack said he had to decide between the University of Maryland and Ohio State when he was offered the position. But this university, unlike many other esports programs, is not treated as an athletics program. This means he doesn’t have to spend as much of his time recruiting players, like an athletic coach has to, he said.

“Esports doesn’t feel like it’s on its own island, and it feels like we’re a part of something bigger within RecWell,” Brack said.

According to their website, UMD Esports boasts 22 Student Government Association-supported gaming clubs and more than 1,700 gamers on the campus.

[Unifursity Furries creates a safe, welcoming space for UMD furries]

The organization is centered around what they call the three Cs: compete, create and connect. 

UMD Esports hires and collaborates with students across various disciplines to create opportunities in the gaming field. Students work with them in a variety of positions, including graphic design, live video production and data analytics.

Brian Rivas, a junior operations management and business analytics major, is the Rocket League team manager and production observer with UMD Esports. Rivas has been with the organization since last fall, and he loved Brack’s focus on promoting youth and education in the field.

The organization had “growing pains” during their first full semester, Rivas said. But they kept succeeding because Brack provides students with a lot of freedom and creativity, he added.

“UMD Esports has been very open and transparent about the fact that they’re going to be letting the students really innovate this program and let it become what they want it to become,” Rivas said.

Brack also wants their student management to use UMD Esports as a jumping-off point. If they want to go into the gaming industry, he wants to help them build their portfolio.

Journalism professor Nathan Stevens runs the teams’ production and live-streaming. He also helped build the Esports program at the University of Kentucky before coming to this university. 

He began reviewing video games in 1999 and has experienced the stigma surrounding both video games and video game journalism.

But the U.S., he said, is slowly catching up to global trends in Esports. 

“For an industry that makes more money than the movie industry, it’s still not taken as seriously,” he said.

This university’s program is growing fast and could bring a lot of opportunities for students who are also talented players. They are even planning on building a dedicated esports center, which Brack said will likely open in 2024.

[Video game adaptations are taking over film and TV. That’s a good thing.]

Stevens is there for most broadcasts, managing the team’s switcher and Twitch stream. He said it can be very challenging, with a lot of computer and camera inputs running at once. 

“It’s more like traditional sports production where you keep up with the action that flows,” Stevens said.

He doesn’t play competitive games, noting their high potential for toxicity. But anything resembling toxicity is immediately shot down in the studio, Stevens said. There is inevitable trash-talking and light ribbing during games. But the program managers draw a hard line at disrespect or unkindness.  

“You need to communicate with [teammates] effectively and mediate any of those things,” he said.

Brack maintains an open door policy and works to solve problems quickly and effectively. He wants his students to feel comfortable talking about issues they are having in their lives.

From his first days in the program, Brack was clear on one thing: He doesn’t tolerate discrimination of any kind.

“I don’t care what role you’re in within the program. We treat everybody with respect and promote an inclusive environment,” he said.

Most recently, HBO adapted the acclaimed Sony game The Last of Us into a TV show.  The story centers around two main characters, Joel and Ellie, trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. It’s a beautiful game, with amazing graphics, movement and story. But the problem with video games is how expensive they can get. 

While The Last of Us is coming to Steam, a platform that mainly supports computer play, the game is currently only available on PlayStation consoles. So if a person wanted to play the game right now, it would cost about $300 for a PlayStation 4 console and $20 for the game. For the most recent PlayStation 5 remake, the game is $70, and a new PlayStation 5 console is between $400 and $500. HBO Max costs just $10 a month. 

[Can UMD students handle Pedro Pascal’s insane coffee order?]

While they can’t play the game, viewers are able to appreciate the art that goes into the show, and they don’t have to sit through roughly seven to eight hours of a video game playthrough for it. TV shows and movies bring these games to life in a new way and for a wider audience.

But these shows and movies aren’t just for a new audience. They’re also for the people who have already fallen in love with the game. There are easter eggs game-lovers can find in the show.

In 2021, Netflix released the TV show Arcane, based on the story of two characters from League of Legends. Unlike The Last of Us, Netflix’s series goes beyond the world of the game, as League isn’t a story-based game. 

But, each of the characters in it has a story. Arcane takes two of these stories and builds a cinematic world around them, showcasing the champions and how they developed into playable characters in the game. League players — who are notably one of the more toxic gaming communities — praised the show, with one Reddit user calling it “surprising and interesting to even lore geeks.” The series even went on to win multiple Emmy and Annie awards.

[Who’s winning at the Oscars? I give my official predictions for the 2023 awards]

Having the base lore to build on allowed Netflix to create a compelling world with a built-in fanbase. This gamer base is part of why so many recent video game adaptations have been popular and well-made.

Creators know gamers are passionate about their games, and they know the lore and world that surrounds them. 

Some games, such as the Overwatch franchise, have gone so far as to create their own “cinematics,” adding a richer story to their games. The story and characters keep gamers and viewers invested. 

Adapting well-known stories that have already been popularized in one culture gives new content validity. Plus, the content comes with a pre-tested audience that has already helped develop the stories of the game. The Last of Us and Arcane haven’t disappointed. Hopefully, the trend continues with The Super Mario Bros. Movie and whatever comes next.

But out of all these games, Hogwarts Legacy is the largest and most expensive one to date. The price ranges from $60 to $80, depending on the platform and edition, and the collector’s edition — featuring a real-life magic wand — costs almost $300. 

Per its website, the game is an “immersive, open-world, action role-playing-game” that takes place at Hogwarts two centuries before the events of the Harry Potter books — and it has been as controversial as it has been anticipated. 

The Harry Potter series has grown into what is known as “The Wizarding World,” a collection of books, movies and games that allows people to immerse themselves into the magical world.

But the book series’ author J.K. Rowling’s actions and opinions have made that world a battleground in reality.

[Review: ‘You People’ explores love and race relations with a timely commentary]

In December 2019, Rowling tweeted in support of Maya Forstater, a researcher who at the time, was suing her former employer for workplace discrimination. Forstater lost her job after saying transgender people can’t change the sex they were born with. The court system said Forstater’s history of transphobic commentary was a valid reason for firing her.

This wasn’t the first time Rowling publicly hinted at her thoughts on transgender people. She liked transphobic tweets in 2018 and wrote transphobic-leaning content as early as 2015.

In recent years, she has become more vocal about her beliefs. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she retweeted an opinion piece about “people who menstruate,” writing, “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

She further defended this tweet on the same day, saying, “I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.”

A few days later, she published an essay emphasizing her specific perspectives about how the transgender “socio-political concept” is harming young people, gay people and women’s rights.

While Rowling was not directly involved in the creation of Hogwarts Legacy, the Wizarding World is her legacy. Her thoughts and opinions taint every aspect of it. Buying the game provides her with royalties — the same royalties that help her financially recover from losing her audience.

Transgender entertainment columnist Stacey Henley writes that the problem isn’t about the money but about normalizing Rowling’s remarks. Rowling is the “acceptable face of transphobia,” Henley writes in TheGamer.

Popularizing something born out of her work makes her more relevant and makes her comments seem appropriate. If she isn’t being canceled, and her content isn’t being boycotted, her comments just fade into normalcy.

[Lesbian bar in DC brings queer people together with fun, comedy and performances]

Activision Blizzard faced boycotts over its sexual abuse and harassment claims, Gina Carano was forced out of the Hollywood spotlight for Twitter posts and Ellen DeGeneres lost her TV show for allegations of bad behavior on set. So why does Rowling get to maintain her position? Is Harry Potter and the Wizarding World really special enough to excuse transphobia?

Allyship means supporting and providing for members of marginalized communities. Allies should advocate for the community they support — in this case, the transgender community.

The Wizarding World holds happy memories for millions of people, myself included, but buying Hogwarts Legacy consequently supports Rowling. This is directly at odds with what it means to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

The harm Rowling has done goes far beyond sparring on Twitter. According to The Washington Post, trans advocates and allies believe “her influence has contributed to an uptick in anti-trans rhetoric in both the United States and the United Kingdom.”

If Rowling faces no consequences for her actions, transgender people will suffer. Obviously, no one can be devalued as an ally based on just buying the game. But it does show that, to them, playing a game outweighs supporting transgender people.

An idle game is one that runs in the background, continuing to progress the game even when the user is not actively playing it. Many phone mobile apps take advantage of this system and will limit the number of actions you can perform at one time, often charging money to speed up wait times. 

These limits present an opportunity to play a game that won’t suck you in for too long. You can check on an idle game every now and then to collect progress and perform an action or two, and then you can let it sit for hours and still make game progress. This curated list of cozy idle games are perfect for study breaks, and their cute appearance is relaxing.

Animal Restaurant

Want a game that’s just as cute to look at as it is to play? Then this game is for you. Animal Restaurant is a management simulation game that places you as the owner of a restaurant with the ability to expand and upgrade as you get more customers. Active playing in this game mostly relies on tapping, which promotes your restaurant and brings in customers. However, you can let this game sit for 12 hours to earn money and rewards from timed orders and other features. 

[15 years later, the Kindle stands the test of time]

Egg, Inc.

Selling eggs may not be the most interesting game you’ve ever pictured, but Egg. Inc. is scarily addicting for an idle game. Upgrade housing and amenities for chickens to lay different kinds of eggs that sell for insane prices. This game also relies on tapping when active playing and continues to earn a profit when you leave the game, allowing you to check up on it every couple of hours.

Cats & Soup

This game is absolutely adorable and has some beautiful visuals and music, plus it showcases two of my favorite things: cats and soup. Add to the world of soup creation by having cats cook all the different pieces, from stirring the soup to cutting carrots to slicing cabbage. The more you upgrade, the more soup you make to earn more money.

Terrarium: Garden Idle

Tap on your plants to earn currency, which you can spend on leveling up your plant and making it grow. This game is very simple and has some cute relaxing sounds. Since this game is quite simple and relaxing, it isn’t addicting and is a great game for a short break that won’t get you too invested.

[Review: BROCKHAMPTON says goodbye with ‘TM’ and ‘The Family’]

Exponential Idle

If you want to stay in the zone while taking a break, try Exponential Idle. The goal of the game is to take advantage of exponential growth and earn money, starting with an equation your professor gave to you. Progress time by tapping, or let time pass at a natural rate. As you earn money, you can purchase variables to incorporate into your equation to speed up your earnings.

Overwatch 2 had some major changes, one of them being the move to five-person team gameplay instead of six-person. Teams are allowed one less tank in games, and former damage-per-second (DPS) character Doomfist became a tank. Most of the other characters faced a variety of nerfs and buffs, with a few of them gaining new abilities. There isn’t nearly enough space to cover all of them, but YouTube videos by Flats and KarQ go through all of the changes with visual explanations.

[UMD student’s dance workshop highlights Japanese Butoh style]

The game also has four new maps, two of which are for the newest game mode “Push.” This mode has a robot that teams have to move toward a goal on either side of the map. Unlike the current escort and hybrid maps, both teams are trying to move the robot and payload toward a goal. The game also removes double-point capture maps, more formally known as the assault maps in Overwatch. 

Overwatch 2 also introduces Sojourn, a new DPS hero. Most Overwatch characters have some unique elements to them — things that aren’t really in other games. Sojourn feels like she was taken out of Apex Legends and dropped straight into the Overwatch series. Her design doesn’t feel fresh, and her abilities and ultimate is underwhelming. She really doesn’t have much going on for her as a character.

Overwatch 2 took a good bit of time to install, even on a PC built for gaming. It’s unsurprising, but still a little annoying. Opening up the game, I had a few goals in mind. First, play as many of the characters as I could, especially those who had been majorly changed. Second, try to play on every map or at least one of every game mode. Loading into the game, one of the first things I noticed was how different the graphics and sound were. While playing, the audio was extremely intense, something Blizzard focused on when making this game. Because the game is still in the beta trial, only unranked role queue and custom gameplay are currently available.

It took about two minutes for me to find a match, and while waiting, I explored the new system. The interface was more modern looking, but I’m not sure if I love it. I think the classic Overwatch look was very unique and felt more homey. The five-on-five structure, especially with only having one tank, makes it even harder to be successful if your tank leaves mid-game or if your tank just isn’t great. The updated structure forces teammates to communicate more and to actually consider team composition, which is often really difficult when queuing by yourself. 

My third match, I finally got to play in the “Push” mode and on a new map, Colosseo. The game mode was kind of confusing, but it was also fun. The idea behind it is interesting, but I think the overtime system is heavily flawed, as it doesn’t quite allow teams to come back from behind. Throughout the game, the overtimes feel much shorter, which is both a blessing and a curse depending, on which side of the match you’re on.

I experienced the massive changes to Orisa throughout my first few matches and decided to test drive her during my fifth one. It was awesome, albeit a little disconcerting since I got to site and tried to put down my shield, but got a spinning javelin instead. I appreciate the attempt at a rework, but I feel like she should still have a shield. With the changes to Winston, where his bubble lasts for significantly less time, there are really only two shield tanks, making it really hard to have a strong composition among a team of five players. 

[‘Stick Fly’: Clarice presents dramedy on family and communication]

Although it is only a beta, the game feels very shaky. There are obviously things that are great about it, including some of the hero reworks and the new maps. However, the game just isn’t as enjoyable as the original. The scoreboard interface is much harder to look at, supports are at a major disadvantage because of the damage character buffs and the one tank system fails to consider people who are queuing by themselves. There are also some issues with movement, and the game feels clunkier than the original. 

My favorite characters to play were, by far, Moira, D.Va , Zenyatta, Sombra and Reaper. I wasn’t surprised by how much I liked playing Moira or D.Va as they are characters I’ve often played in the original. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the Sombra rework and think Reaper got a massive advantage with the movement speed buff. On the flip side, I really hated playing Brigitte, Winston and Pharah. The loss of Brigitte’s shield stun, Winston having a shorter bubble time and Pharah’s fuel depletion makes them all much harder and worse to play. 

At this point, I would never boot up the sequel beta instead of Overwatch. I can’t say whether that’ll change in the future, but Overwatch 2 has a long way to go. 

• 2048

2048 is one of those classic simple puzzle games that’s been around for a while. The game was released in 2014 by Italian programmer Gabriele Cirulli and — was so popular after its release other developers started making imitations of the game, similar to what happened after Wordle’s release.

To play the game, users have to swipe number tiles — that start as either 2s or 4s — to match together, and sum up to 2048 without filling up the board. The catch is after each swipe, a new number pops up. This simple game allows for a quick break to play one round without getting too drawn into completing the game.

[‘A whole new territory’: GLOSSER is bringing their new music to the stage]

• I Love Hue Too

I Love Hue Too is a beautiful sequel to the game I Love Hue, a puzzle game that involves arranging mosaic tiles into stunning color gradients. What makes this game unique is how it is both aesthetically pleasing to complete each level, and the developers have added very peaceful meditation music to the background of the game, which creates an ethereal experience.

With hundreds of levels, this game has hours’ worth of entertainment but won’t send you annoying notifications telling you to feed your pigs every two hours. Plus, listening to the game music while playing allows for a meditation-like break from studying. A win-win.

• Sticky Terms

This cute puzzle app lets you learn as you put the pieces together. The game involves a jumbled-up word you have to stick back together. The fun part is each word is from another language that does not have a direct translation to English. When you complete each word, the app gives you the language it originates from and the definition of the word.

Not only are these terms sticky, in that you’ll never be able to find a synonym in English, but they’re also sticky in the app too. The sound effects and touch play require you to “unstick” each puzzle piece before you move it around by long holding the piece. If you are looking to keep your brain active in between your study sessions, this game is a great way to relax while still learning new things.

• Kami 2

In this game, you have a set number of moves to make a piece of paper all the same color. As the levels progress, there are more complicated patterns and more colors to choose from, and you get to watch the paper fold up into a little packet after you finish each level. The paper folding sound effects are also very satisfying to listen to if you like ASMR.

[Dua Lipa performs jaw-dropping set in D.C.]

• Dots & Co 

If you’re like me, you grew up playing the Dots puzzle games as they came out. Dots & Co is the 2016 adaptation of the original game, Dots, from 2013. The graphics have come a long way, and they styled the game to feel more like a story than the previous iterations. 

This game involves a board of different colored dots. Connect dots of the same color to make them disappear, and make sure you collect the right amount of each color to pass the level. The most satisfying part of this game is when you draw a square with a certain color, all the colored dots on that board disappear. Watch your worries about midterms disappear as well when you play this game.

That’s certainly a mechanical curveball that makes the game intriguing. But intriguing is not enjoyable by default. And constantly navigating a three-dimensional space in the wonky inversion of a virtual reflection was certainly not enjoyable.

It’s also not necessary, because the putrid terror telegraphs its position constantly. If it’s close, the player hears a thumping heartbeat, not unlike the “Dead by Daylight” terror radius system.

[UMD’s Gamer Symphony orchestra covers video game classics in sold-out concert]

The game also darkens the whole scene when the monster isn’t socially distancing. If, like me, one were to find the mirror slightly too annoying to fiddle with, one could get through the game with naught but a stereo headset.

That strategy is legitimized further by the game’s hiding system. A hint, which appears after you die a few times, suggests hiding under tables and in bushes. It doesn’t tell you upfront you can taunt the spooky lad in smooching range, and all is forgiven once you’re under a table. But dauddle too long in its view and be punished with a jumpscare you absolutely deserve for your hubris.

Jumpscares that the player does not deserve, however, are a frequent annoyance. “Wayward Harbor,” being a brief promenade through a novel horror mechanic, is set in a small map with three sections.

At the beginning of each section, and when you make any progress toward escape-by-boat, the monster shrieks as if it’s attacking. But it’s not attacking — it’s changing its set-in-stone patrol path. While the monster’s brief tantrums never failed to make me jump, they felt unearned.

“Wayward Harbor” was developed by Daniil Shashenkov, Vitaly Tarnover, Christopher Null, Martijn Dhondt, Lars Korden and Gonçalo Oliveira. They’ve built a great, if simple, environment to flex the reflection mechanic, complete with portraits of HP Lovecraft around the house.

According to the synopsis on Steam, it’s about a 15-minute experience. I played for nearly two and a half hours, which I’m attributing to my stopping to take notes and such. Definitely not because I sat in a bush learning the monster’s path after each reshuffle because it was scary. Not at all.

[Microsoft could be biting off more than it can chew with Activision acquisition]

Jests aside, this is a scary game, mostly to the credit of sound design. The monster’s ominous bellowing sent chills down my spine, even if it hasn’t quite grasped object permanence yet. Playing peek-a-boo gets terrifying when it’s with a sinewy floating bag of skin with a vibrating rib cage that can pierce yours with its tongue.

The mirror reflects a unique, but not groundbreaking innovation, and is only really necessary to admire the monster’s charming visage. As a mechanic, it would be interesting as a small part of a larger horror story. Then the sudden death from a silent corner would create torment in every corner that doesn’t have an invisible beast lurking.

“Wayward Harbor” is a test case that proves the reflection system can’t carry a full game. But it’s entertaining, and free, so give it a try. Or play a better free game, like the twisted mystery “Fingerbones” or “The Plan,” a poetic vignette of a fly.

Microsoft will acquire a variety of well-known game franchises including Call of Duty, Overwatch, Candy Crush and World of Warcraft. The purchase will also make them the third-largest gaming company by revenue, according to a press release. 

But it’s a curious choice, especially considering the controversy Activision Blizzard is currently facing.

[UMD and Temple students collaborate on Formula One podcast]

In late July of last year, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a civil suit against Activision Blizzard and its subset Blizzard, claiming violation of the state’s Equal Pay Act and Fair Employment and Housing Act.

The details of the company’s actions are horrifying. One of the most disturbing were the office’s alleged “cube crawls,” where male employees would get drunk, go through the office and engage in misconduct toward female coworkers. 

If Microsoft is able to deal with these issues, it could mark a transformation for Activision. Microsoft has dealt with a massive culture shift in its own company since current CEO Satya Nadella took the lead in February 2014. 

Before his promotion, the company was divided into warring factions, but Nadella created a community in the organization. Microsoft has become a place that told employees to “embrace a ‘learn-it-all’ curiosity,” according to Fortune in 2021. 

However, these changes failed to consider gender and sex-related issues in the organization.

In 2019 and 2020, Microsoft’s board investigated co-founder Bill Gates due to claims that he had tried to have an intimate relationship with an employee in 2000. Gates also reportedly pursued employees at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to The New York Times.

Months into the investigation, The Washington Post reported Gates had left his position on the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway.

The problem was not just about Gates. Between 2010 and 2016, 238 complaints were filed with the company’s human resources department — 119 of them related to gender discrimination. The rest included complaints about sexual harassment, retaliation and pregnancy discrimination.

Microsoft considered only one of the gender discrimination to be valid, according to The Seattle Times. The class-action complaint related to the situation was not given class certification, even with more than 8,000 women who would tell their stories.

In 2019, more than 90 pages of emails detailed a series of sexual harassment and discrimination incidents, some of which were reported but not investigated by the company’s HR department. 

[UMD students weigh in on Spotify and Joe Rogan misinformation dispute]

Then in January, Microsoft’s shareholders voted to have the board review policies related to sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Shareholders are requesting the company become more accountable, transparent and protect their employees.

The results are yet to be released and are reported to be coming out in the spring.

By buying Activision Blizzard, Microsoft is expanding its empire in video games. But it is also taking on an added burden and responsibility of resolving the company’s civil suit and changing its culture while dealing with internal investigations.