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President of Blizzard Entertainment J. Allen Brack has resigned today after a discussion about the company’s alleged sexism culture. July 20, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing explosive suit Blizzard Activision, a major Blizzard company, has reported gender discrimination.
Activision Blizzard employees say Bracken’s exit is just one step in addressing systemic problems. “No one is responsible for Blizzard culture; ABK’s problems go beyond Blizzard and require systemic change, “tweeted the Activision Blizzard King Workers Alliance, which describes itself as” an organized group of employees of today’s Activision Blizzard Inc. to defend the right to a safe and equitable workplace. committing ”.
Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra of Blizzard will co-chair Brack. Before that, Oneal was the head of the studio at Vicarious Visions Tony Hawk and Skylanders series. (Activision acquired the studio in 2005.) Oneal has participated in several initiatives to promote women’s leadership. Ybarra has been with Blizzard for about two years as its executive vice president. He previously served as corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Xbox and worked there for 19 years.
“I’m confident that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will give Blizzard the leadership it needs to reach its full potential and accelerate the pace of change,” Brack wrote. a message Posted on Blizzard.com. “I think they will do it with passion and enthusiasm and take integrity and commitment to the highest level with the components of our culture that make Blizzard so special.” Brack has been working for Blizzard since 2006, most recently as an executive producer World of Warcraft. He has been president of Blizzard since October 2018.
“It became clear to J. Allen Brack and Activision Blizzard that Blizzard Entertainment needs a new leadership and leadership in terms of critical work in terms of work culture, game development and innovation,” the company said in a statement to WIRED.
This morning’s announcement has stirred up the week’s turmoil on Activision Blizzard. DFEH’s allegations exposed the company’s gruesome details about the company’s “frat boy” culture, ranging from pay inequality to allegations that allowed sexual misconduct. Brack is one of the only people specifically mentioned in the case. The DFEH alleges that “it received numerous allegations of unlawful harassment, discrimination and retaliation,” including World of Warcraft Alex Afrasiabi creative director general. Afrasiabi allegedly sexually harassed female workers and, around 2013, had a suite under the pseudonym Blizz Con “Cosby Suite”. Afrasiabi was released in 2020 after an investigation by a spokesman tell Kotaku.
On July 23, shortly after the DFEH’s public investigation, Brack sent an email to employees saying the allegations were “very worrying”. In that note, Brack recalled that when Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, offered him the job, “one of the first things I mentioned was that Brack was the famous saint of the house: Gloria Steinem.” Brack also stated that he could not provide details about the DFEH case because it was an open investigation.
While Brack’s email provided a friendly tone, Activision Blizzard’s management was widely dismissed. A spokesman said the DFEH’s complaint contained “distorted and in many cases false descriptions of Blizzard’s past.” Fran Townsend, head of Activision Blizzard, said the lawsuit was “really irresponsible and irresponsible.”
The reaction from the staff and fans was harsh. Activision Blizzard employees, especially those who have been discriminated against in the company, believed the response lacked responsibility and a lack of empathy. Hundreds of Activision, Blizzard and King employees – under the auspices of Activision Blizzard – began coordinating to express solidarity with these victims. More than 3,000 current employees signed a letter condemning the leadership’s response. In another letter, staff organizers called for the termination of mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts. Their demands included wage transparency, recruitment policies that promote diversity, and a working group appointed by staff to review human resources and executive staff. (Kotick apologized for the initial “deafening tones” and he said would evaluate leaders, investigate veterinary recruitment practices, and claims.)
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