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Activision Blizzard has announced the departure of Blizzard president J. Allen Brack amidst the fallout of a recent lawsuit accusing Activision Blizzard of harbouring a toxic workplace environment.
A public statement from the company revealed the news and said that Brack was “leaving the company to pursue new opportunities.” He’ll be succeeded by Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra who have both been appointed as co-leaders of Blizzard.
Brack published his own statement on the Blizzard website welcoming his successors. He said “I am confident that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will provide the leadership Blizzard needs to realize its full potential and will accelerate the pace of change. I anticipate they will do so with passion and enthusiasm and that they can be trusted to lead with the highest levels of integrity and commitment to the components of our culture that make Blizzard so special.”
Jen Oneal has previously served as executive vice president of development at the company, providing “senior development leadership and support” to both the Diablo and Overwatch franchises. She was also formerly the head of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 studio Vicarious Visions before their absorption into Blizzard earlier this year. Mike Ybarra meanwhile joined Blizzard as an executive vice president and general manager in 2019 after almost twenty years at Xbox.
Last week, employees at Blizzard held a walkout in support of the treatment of marginalised workers to demand better working conditions across Activision Blizzard. It was a move that was also supported by a number of Ubisoft employees who faced a similar issue last year, and called for a more pro-active response and for those in management positions to be held more accountable.
New leadership at Blizzard.
— Blizzard Entertainment (@Blizzard_Ent) August 3, 2021
