With the Activision Blizzard suit being made public just a couple of weeks ago, today J. Allen Brack, President of Blizzard Entertainment, has stepped down. In an announcement from the Blizzard team, they avoided addressing the gargantuan elephant in the room and instead gave a basic rundown of what will be occurring with this transition of power. Namely that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will be taking over Brack’s duties as joint President moving forward. While completely sidestepping the issues currently playing out, J. Allen Brack had a message to share with the Blizzard Community.
Someone Had to Pay
The stepping down of J. Allen Brack was expected. Many major corporations in the past have suddenly had one of their key figures leave amid substantial, tangible allegations such as what Activision Blizzard is currently facing and it’s a safe bet he won’t be the last. That said, with no mention of why specifically he has left the company at this point, we’re only left with the words he provided in Blizzard Entertainment‘s official statement on his departure.
J. Allen Brack relayed, “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.” Reading between the lines, Oneal and Ybarra will have to deal with whatever is coming leading up to and after the impending Activision Blizzard lawsuit.
Brack took over as president of Blizzard Entertainment in 2018 after working thirteen years as WoW’s production director. During his tenure, there were plenty of soundbites and questionable decisions made by the company such as the ill-conceived Diablo Immortal. His successors, Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra, were the former head of Vicarious Visions and the Corporate Vice President of Gaming at Microsoft respectively. Regardless of their new status, it’s clear they have their work cut out for them moving forward.
The full Blizzard Entertainment blog post can be found on their official website.
