Former leader of Blizzard spotted departing with big piles of money and a golden parachute.
After being directly named in a lawsuit accusing Blizzard of fostering a work-culture of sexual harassment and discrimination, Blizzard lead J. Allen Brack announced today his departure from the company. As posted on the official website, Brack will be replaced by Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra who will take over as co-leaders.
Brack’s leadership has come under fire in recent years with the biggest obviously being the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. While not named as being a participant in said harassment, Brack is accused of being aware of the abuse and refusing to take action to punish its perpetrators. Under Brack’s leadership, Blizzard ignited a controversy in 2019 after banning Hearthstone player Ng Wai Chung, aka Blitzchung, stealing his tournament winnings, and firing two stream casters uninvolved in Chung’s statement, after the player exposited support for the Hong Kong protests in a post-match interview.
The departure of Brack comes with no comment on the lawsuit or his conduct, but instead a vague message of confidence in his replacements that may or may not have actually been written by him. If Oneal and Ybarra don’t foster a culture of abuse and discrimination they will already be an improvement.
“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. 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.”
There has been no word on Brack’s massive golden parachute.
Source: Blizzard
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