J. Allen Brack, the President of Warcraft and Overwatch Studio, Blizzard Entertainment, is leaving his position less than two weeks later an investigation by the California Department for Fair Employment and Housing made explosive allegations public of harassment and discrimination in the company.
In one opinion Released by Blizzard, it is announced that Brack is “stepping down” and will be replaced by an executive team of Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra.
To all members of the Blizzard community,
We’d like to inform you of an important change in leadership at Blizzard Entertainment.
Effective today, J. Allen Brack will step down as head of the studio, and Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will jointly lead Blizzard.
Jen joined Blizzard in January as Executive Vice President of Development, where she provided senior development lead and support for the Diablo and Overwatch franchises. Jen is the former head of Vicarious Visions (which is now part of Blizzard Entertainment).
After many years at XBOX, Mike joined the company in 2019 as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Platform and Technology, where he oversaw the development of Battle.net and our development services organization.
Jen and Mike have over three decades of gaming industry experience. In the future, they will share responsibility for game development and company operations.
Both managers feel deeply committed to all of our employees; of the work ahead to ensure that Blizzard is the safest and most welcoming place to work for women and people of any gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or background; to preserve and strengthen our values; and rebuild your confidence. With years of industry experience and deep commitment to integrity and inclusivity, Jen and Mike Blizzard will lead Blizzard with care, compassion, and a dedication to excellence. You’ll hear more from Jen and Mike soon.
Brack also released a brief statement that reads:
I am confident Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will take the leadership Blizzard needs to reach its full potential and accelerate the pace of change. I trust they will do this with passion and enthusiasm and that they can be trusted to lead with the highest level of integrity and commitment to the components of our culture that make Blizzard so special.
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A separate one Notice Activision’s investor relations page says Brack is leaving to “pursue new opportunities.” He has been President since 2018 and with the company since 2006, having previously worked for companies like Origin (Lieutenant colonel) and SOE (Star Wars galaxies).
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