Blizzard president J. Allen Brack leaving Activision Blizzard
Leadership now falls upon Mike Ybarra and Jen Oneal.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
What you need to know
Blizzard president J. Allen Brack is leaving Activision Blizzard, per astatementfrom the company on Tuesday. Former Xbox executive Mike Ybarra and head of Vicarious Visions Jen Oneal will co-lead Blizzard Entertainment from now on. This comes as Activision Blizzard is facing anongoing lawsuitfrom the State of California, alleging the company has a culture of sexist workplace behavior, history of abuse and more.
“Both leaders are deeply committed to all of our employees; to the work ahead to ensure Blizzard is the safest, most welcoming workplace possible for women, and people of any gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or background; to upholding and reinforcing our values; and to rebuilding your trust,” the statement reads. “With their many years of industry experience and deep commitment to integrity and inclusivity, Jen and Mike will lead Blizzard with care, compassion, and a dedication to excellence. You’ll hear more from Jen and Mike soon.”
Mike Ybarra worked for almost 20 years at Microsoft before joining Activision Blizzard, working as Corporate Vice President of gaming from January 2017 to November 2019. Jen Oneal is the former head of Vicarious Visions, a studio previously under the Activision wing of the company before it was placed under Blizzard Entertainment earlier this year. Vicarious Visions is currently working on a remaster ofDiablo 2, while the rest of Blizzard is working on other titles likeDiablo 4.
Brack was one of the names mentioned in the initial lawsuit. Shortly after, a videobegan to circulateon social media of a World of Warcraft panel from 2010 that Brack was part of. In the panel, a woman in the audience asked if it was possible for some future female characters to not have the same sexualized designs as most so far, a question that was laughed off by the panel.
Activision Blizzard employees recentlyheld a walkoutin protest of the company’s response to the lawsuit so far, a walkout that saw support from several hundred employees at Ubisoft who are also frustrated with Ubisoft’s response to ongoing allegations.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.
