Activision is definitely at the center of the news. After the many scandals that have tarnished its reputation, the American publisher is now making headlines after announcing its acquisition by Microsoft. An operation that should come about in the coming months, but is already terribly shaking the industry. In that regard, Mike Ybarra took the floor to report on a number of changes taking place within the company and to share new information about the games in development next week!
Improving Blizzard culture
In one long stick published on the publisher’s website, Blizzard’s president wanted to put his teams first. After the horrifying allegations that revealed toxic management and unacceptable behavior within the company, Mike Ybarra wants to focus on the talent that makes the company what it is. For this reason, he shares the many measures that have been taken within the company.
Therefore, Blizzard’s priority since last year is to regain trust. The trust of the players, of course, but above all that of his employees. Because of this, management’s goals are now partially aligned “our success in creating a safe, inclusive and creative work environment”. Specifically, to achieve this, Blizzard has created new positions to ensure the adoption of a new corporate culture and the application and respect of diversity. A new Head of Human Resources is also in place to transform and instill positive management within a framework of trust.
This set of actions, found below, should nudge the developer to restore their image. While everyone is talking about his acquisition by Microsoft, he also knows how much of a luster his image has lost over the years. And while the developments of Diablo IV and Overwatch 2 are announced but particularly secretive, Mike Ybarra recognizes that better communication will also be important.
A speech next week
Because of this, Blizzard’s president says he’ll be making more announcements at the end of January. These focus on the developers’ games and could give us an overview of the ongoing work within the teams.
We also know that we need to deliver content to our players more regularly and innovate both in our existing games and beyond. We have some exciting things to announce and I’ll tell you more next week.
Of course, Mike Ybarra only scratches the surface. It is therefore not easy to know what to expect. It’s not certain that we’ll discover new images of future productions that have already been announced, but the teams could easily share a roadmap for World of Warcraft, for example. A quick look back at Diablo IV and Overwatch 2 would also be very welcome as players are already tired of waiting for these sequels.
Translated Blizzard’s official press release
I am humbled to be part of Blizzard Entertainment: a rich history, incredible talent, the best player communities, and of course the incredible games we can create. I’ve been running Blizzard for a few months now, and in addition to this week’s exciting news, I want to share a few thoughts with you as we strive to keep our team and players at the forefront of everything we do.
The year 2021 was a challenge for all of us. As individuals, we are committed to treating everyone around us with respect and dignity. As professionals, we are very committed to our craft and would like to work in the most favorable and safe environment possible.
Our top priority – now and in the future – is the work we do to restore your trust in Blizzard.
To see Blizzard working as creatively and diligently as we have during this difficult time (added to an ongoing pandemic) has been inspiring. Addressing these challenges, evolving our development processes, being introspective, and striving to improve our culture shows incredible strength and dedication to each other, to our work, and to the gaming communities.
I’ve also been encouraged by reading forums, social posts, and emails from people inside and outside of Blizzard who are standing up for what’s right and giving us advice. I want you all to know that we are listening and we are committed to change. As a first step in improving communication with the community, I’d like to highlight some of the initial actions we’re taking to improve our culture:
- We measure our leadership and management teams directly against culture improvement. This means their success (and mine) and compensation is directly related to our overall success in creating a safe, inclusive, and creative work environment at Blizzard.
- We are devoting more full-time positions and resources to improving our corporate culture. All too often, this important effort is left to employee resource groups made up of people who already have full-time jobs. Here are some of the leadership positions we have created for this new team:
- a culture manager who will help us preserve the best aspects of what we have today, while changing and evolving as needed to ensure everyone brings their best to Blizzard
- a new HR leader who will build trust, strengthen our teams and help create a safe and positive work environment for all
- A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) officer focused solely on progress in this area.
We are committed to filling these teams with priority.
- We have tripled the size of our compliance and investigation teams and have clearly defined responsibilities in the event of unacceptable behavior. This applies to all Blizzard employees, including officers and managers.
- We shared representation data internally with our teams and set improvement goals for those metrics.
- We have implemented a bottom-up feedback program to ensure employees have confidence in management’s judgment and we will use this to measure the quality and effectiveness of our managers.
These actions are just the beginning of the work Blizzard has ahead of them. I am motivated and excited to work directly to create the best possible environment for our teams to achieve their visions.
We also know that we need to deliver content to our players more regularly and innovate both in our existing games and beyond. We have some exciting things to announce and I’ll tell you more next week.
I want to thank our communities and our amazing teams for their dedication and leadership who will always be our North Star.
Wishing you an amazing 2022 and more.
– Mike “Qwik” Ybarra
