Posted 2 hours ago
The fallout from the California lawsuit alleging US-based video game publishers continues, with Activision Blizzard accused of fostering a “fraternity boys” culture in which workers are subject to unequal wages and sexual harassment. “
Following the strike organized through Activision Blizzard workers and online gamers calling on the company to take concrete action to respond to the allegations, Blizzard President J. Allen Brack resigned. Activision Blizzard announced that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra would “co-lead” in their place.
In a Polygon spot, a Blizzard spokesperson said:
Oneal was in the past executive vice president of development, and Ybarra was guilty of the company’s platform and technology.
Brack stated his departure on Blizzard’s website:
Brack is a 15-year veteran at Blizzard and has been president since October 2018, holding that role when then-President and CEO Mike Morhaime resigned from his role. Morhaime, who founded Blizzard in 1991, congratulated his replacement by calling him “an inspiring leader who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the Blizzard community. “
Activision Blizzard has carved out a niche since California announced its lawsuit against the company. A published through Blizzard called the trial “distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard’s past” and only stoked the fires that caused workers to leave. and many other leaders have internally called the allegations “extremely troubling. “
Frances Townsend, Executive at Activision Blizzard and former national security director to George W. Bush described the trial as “truly unfounded and irresponsible” in an Array Thousands of workers responded by criticizing and signing a letter calling on Townsend to resign as executive sponsor of the women’s network. Then the strike follows.
This is ongoing and we will continue to monitor it as it evolves.
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Photography: Allen J. Schaben / Getty