Blizzard CEO Leaves Company Following Sexual Abuse and Discrimination Lawsuit

J. Allen Brack is leaving Activision Blizzard. He will be replaced by Jen Oneal and the former VP of Xbox Live.

J. Allen Brack is stepping down as president of Blizzard following allegations of hiding cases of sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse at the company . The parent company of this company, Activision Blizzard, was sued by the state of California on July 20 following an investigation of more than 2 years that uncovered dozens of cases of this type, which led Blizzard employees to summon a strike last week and harshly criticizing the company in a letter signed by more than 2,500 workers and former employees.

In an official statement , Activision Blizzard confirms the departure of J. Allen Brack after 16 years with the company, who will be replaced not by one person, but by two. Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will replace Brack as leaders of Blizzard, sharing the responsibilities at the helm of the subsidiary while trying to fix its work culture. “Both are leaders with great character and integrity , and they are fully committed to ensuring that our work environment is the most open and inspired to achieve creative excellence, and to maintain our high standards of development with games,” said Daniel Alegre, President from Activision Blizzard.

I am confident that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will bring the leadership Blizzard needsJ. Allen BrackThe first, Jen Oneal, is an 18-year Activision Blizzard veteran , former Director of Vicarious Visions, and Executive Vice President of Development at Blizzard. For his part, Mike Ybarra is the former Xbox Vice President and head of Xbox Live, who joined Activision Blizzard in 2019 to serve as Executive Vice President of this subsidiary. “I am confident that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will provide the leadership Blizzard needs to reach its full potential and to accelerate the pace of change, ” said J. Allen Brack in his departure .

“I anticipate that they will do so with passion and enthusiasm, and that they can be trusted to lead with the highest levels of integrity and commitment to the elements of our culture that make Blizzard so special.” For now, Activision Blizzard is limited to stating that J. Allen Brack is leaving the company “to pursue new opportunities,” without disclosing his fate. This march comes in the wake of a new wave of harassment cases in the industry, where people like Phil Spencer have stood in solidarity with the victims , and studies like Bungie have been blunt in their rejection of discrimination and abuse .