Activision Begins Hunt For A New Boss, As CEO Set To Leave The Company

Activision is in need of a new chief executive officer. Eric Hirshberg, who has served as Activision Publishing's CEO since 2010, will part ways with the company in March, Activision has confirmed.

As first reported by GamesBeat, Hirshberg recently informed Activision staff of his decision to leave. He'll stay on in his role through the end of March, when his contract expires, although the hunt for a successor has reportedly already begun.

"Serving as Activision's CEO has been an honor and a thrill," Hirshberg said in a statement shared with GameSpot. "This is an amazing company, one which routinely delivers epic experiences for our fans on a scale that no one else can. I have nothing but admiration for the incredible team I have had the privilege to lead. And I have nothing but appreciation for Bobby [Kotick, Activision Blizzard CEO] for giving me this transformational opportunity, and also for having the vision and conviction to champion a creative person for a leadership role on this scale."

Kotick also addressed Hirshberg's impending departure, saying, "During Eric's tenure we've had historic performance and great successes. He is an inspiring leader, and we will all miss his creativity and tenacity very much. He is leaving the team, the franchises and the business in a great place, and he goes with my full support and appreciation."

Prior to his current role, Hirshberg worked at marketing firm Deutsch LA; it's unknown what his future plans are. As CEO, he led Activision Publishing, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the broader company run by Kotick. Although Activision Blizzard has faced a number of criticisms, it's taken major strides from a business standpoint during his time with the company, as its stock price has risen from about $11 in September 2010 to $70 now. A large part of that is due to the success of the Destiny and Call of Duty franchises, the latter of which has been the top-grossing console franchise worldwide in eight out of the last nine years. Call of Duty: WWII and Destiny 2 specifically were the top-grossing games in North America last year.