Enlarge / Jen Oneal will be leaving her co-leadership position atop Blizzard after less than three months. (credit: Activision Blizzard )
It’s been less than three months since former Vicarious Visions head Jen Oneal stepped up to co-lead Blizzard alongside Mike Ybarra, following the departure of longtime veteran J. Allen Brack . On Tuesday, though, Oneal announced her sudden departure as the company continues to navigate lawsuits surrounding accusations of widespread harassment .
Oneal said in a statement that she will be stepping down from leadership immediately ahead of leaving the company entirely at the end of the year. “I am doing this not because I am without hope for Blizzard, quite the opposite—I’m inspired by the passion of everyone here, working towards meaningful, lasting change with their whole hearts, ” she wrote. “This energy has inspired me to step out and explore how I can do more to have games and diversity intersect, and hopefully make a broader industry impact that will benefit Blizzard (and other studios) as well… Blizzard’s best days are ahead. I truly believe that. ”
Alongside Oneal’s departure, Activision Blizzard announced a donation of $1 million to Women in Games International , a nonprofit where Oneal serves on the board. “Though we will all miss [Oneal] greatly, we wish her all the best as we work with her on a plan to make an industry-wide impact through the WIGI grant, ” Blizzard head Mike Ybarra said on an earnings call Tuesday.
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