The resignation of Blizzard President J. Allen Brack last week likely created a drag. Several sources confirm Kotaku that Luis Barriga and Jesse McCree, respectively director and lead designer de Diablo 4And the designer Jonathan LeCraft, officiating on World of Warcraft, have all left their posts.
Departures that follow the state of California's lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, which is accused of fostering a toxic corporate culture making lives particularly difficult for employees.
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Departures with blurred outlines
Questioned by Kotaku, the source admits that Activision Blizzard would not have motivated, internally, the reasons for the cross departure of the three men. However, the chronology of events leaves little room for doubt. And for good reason: Jesse McCree and Jonathan LeCraft are among the people who can be seen posing proudly alongside fallen developer Alex Afrasiabi in the now famous “Cosby Suite”, in a snapshot dated 2013.
Unlike Afrasiabi, whose honorifics have all been erased from World of Warcraft, it's unknown if similar action will be taken regarding Overwatch — Jesse McCree lending his name to one of the game's heroes.
The reasons for the departure of Luis Barriga are more vague, but Blizzard confirms however in a press release that he is no longer part of the company. "We can confirm that Luis Barriga, Jesse McCree and Jonathan LeCraft no longer work for the company," wrote a spokesperson. We have many talented developers in place, and new leaders have been assigned [sur Diablo IV, ndlr]. We are confident in our ability to continue to progress, deliver incredible experiences for our players, and work to ensure a productive and healthy work environment for everyone.”
Diablo IV is not expected until, at best, 2022.
