It was obvious: heads had to roll at Blizzard Entertainment. Splashed for more than a week by the complaint of the State of California for acts of harassment and discrimination, the company announces a renewal of its leadership to hope to calm things down (and reassure its shareholders).
A Blizzard employee for almost 16 years, and at its head since October 2018, J. Allen Brack is now giving up his place to a duo who will co-chair the company.
Read also:
Activision Blizzard under the influence of a new complaint… from certain shareholders
Reform Blizzard from the top
It is therefore up to Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra to design and direct the Blizzard of tomorrow. A company to be rebuilt on the basis of equality, and above all of security for women or people from minorities.
Previously president of Vicarious Visions (which became part of Blizzard earlier this year after being acquired by Activision in 2005), Jen Oneal officially joined the company's org chart in January 2021 as senior head of development, especially on Overwatch and the Diablo franchise.
A defector from Xbox, his buddy Mike Ybarra arrived at Blizzard in 2019 as executive vice president and general manager of platforms and technologies. He notably supervised the evolution of Battle.net, evokes the company's press release.
"With their many years of industry experience, and deep commitment to integrity and inclusiveness, Jen and Mike will preside over Blizzard with care, compassion, and dedication to excellence," Blizzard summarizes on its blog, promising that the duo will soon speak more directly.
For his part, J. Allen Brack declares all the good he thinks of his replacements who, according to him, will be able to help Blizzard to reform in large widths. “I anticipate that they will perform their duties with passion and enthusiasm, and can be trusted to lead with the highest level of integrity and commitment to our culture that makes Blizzard so special,” he said. declared.
Read also:
Activision Blizzard: after a historic day of strike, the executive takes the floor but struggles to convince
Stick the pieces back
A culture perhaps special, but especially sharply criticized in recent days, after the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a complaint against Activision Blizzard for its inability to combat systemic harassment and pay disparities. A veritable Pandora's box, from which emerged many cases that splash the management of the company, and in particular some of its most senior leaders.
After Alex Afrasiabi, who already left his post at Blizzard last summer, J. Allen Brack was one of the few people named in the complaint filed by the DFEH. He is notably criticized for a detached attitude when accusations of harassment and discrimination came to his ears, and more generally for an inability to create a working atmosphere where everyone feels safe.
According to a separate press release, issued by Activision Blizzard COO Daniel Alegre, J. Allen Brack is leaving the company "to pursue new opportunities."
