Blizzard president J. Allen Brack is stepping down from his position in the wake of the ongoing sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit levelled against Activision Blizzard.
The news was announced over on Blizzard's website, along with confirmation that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will replace Brack as co-leaders of Blizzard. Oneal previously led the team at Vicarious Visions, the studio behind a number of recent Activision remasters including Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 - Remastered. Vicarious Visions was recently folded into Blizzard, and Oneal has been the executive vice president of development at the company since the start of this year.
Ybarra joined Blizzard in 2019 after many years at Xbox, and steps into this new leadership position from his role as executive vice president and general manager of platform and technology.
"Jen and Mike have more than three decades of gaming industry experience between them. Moving forward, they will share responsibilities over game development and company operations," Blizzard said in a statement.
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"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. 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."
"I am confident that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will provide the leadership Blizzard needs to realize its full potential and will accelerate the pace of change," added Brack. "I anticipate 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 components of our culture that make Blizzard so special."
Activision Blizzard management said in its own statement that Brack is leaving the company to "pursue new opportunities".
Featured Image Credit: Activision BlizzardTopics: GAMING, News, Blizzard, Activision
