Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.

 Content Warning: The following article and links contain references to rape, suicide, verbal abuse, sexual assault, and harassment.

Blizzard Entertainment president J. Allen Brack is now stepping down in the wake of the earth-shattering controversy his company has come under in recent weeks. Late in July, the State Of California filed a monumental lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for charges of sexual assault and misconduct, as well as a toxic workplace culture that did little to address these complaints.

There have been several calls to action in the face of these charges and the many harrowing stories behind them among players and gaming industry insiders alike, especially after Activision Blizzard employees staged a massive walkout last week. In response, former Blizzard developers and employees at companies like Ubisoft have penned open letters supporting this protest, as well as calling for game developers to unionize in the face of continuing sexual misconduct in the industry among other issues.

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Earlier today, Blizzard Entertainment announced that longtime company president J. Allen Brack will be stepping down from his position effective immediately. In his place, executive vice president of development Jen Oneal and general manager of platform and technology Mike Ybarra will serve as co-leaders going forward. “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,” Brack stated in a message following his departure. “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.

Ex-Blizzard Dev Open Letter Unionization Jeff Strain

Prior to stepping down, J. Allen Brack addressed the recent sexual harassment lawsuit in a Blizzard company email, stating that the stories he was hearing were "extremely troubling" and promising to meet with staff members to "answer questions and discuss how we can move forward." Brack was one of only two executives explicitly mentioned by name in the State Of California's lawsuit, with former World Of Warcraft creative director Alex Afrasiabi being the second due to his involvement with BlizzCon's "Cosby Suite."

It's currently too early to tell what effect J. Allen Brack’s departure from Blizzard or Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra taking over his position will have on the company going forward, but it is worth noting that the pair have over three decades of experience in the gaming industry. Hopefully, with their new leadership, Blizzard can make the changes needed to ensure that everyone within its walls can perform their jobs in a safe and welcoming workplace environment.

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Source: Blizzard Entertainment