Blizzard'S First Female Leader, Jen Oneal, Steps Down Amid Ongoing Gender Discrimination Suit
Oneal joined Blizzard in January as the Executive Vice President of Development. Oneal was previously a studio lead at Vicarious Visions, best known for his work on franchises such as Guitar Hero and Destiny 2 and was involved in game development for decades, as a tester in the late 1990s. Onil was hired to co-head Blizzard with Mike Ibarra after Blizzard president J. Allen Brack left due to resigning.
Oneal says he will spend the remainder of his time at the company figuring out how to use the $ 1 million grant that Activision agreed to provide Women in Games International, a nonprofit that “cultivates and promotes equality and diversity in the global gaming industry,” and whose advise of directors he serves as Oneal. Activision Blizzard is back giving the Oneals a $ 1 million grant to support Women in Games International, a non-profit dedicated to promoting diversity and equality in the industry
In August, Oneal and Ibarra took over as the Co-CEO of Blizzard after President J. Allen Brack was named in a California lawsuit that led to his firing. Oneal and Ibarra were named leaders after former leader J. Allen Brack stepped down a week after Blizzard workers staged a protest in California against the company over harassment and discrimination charges.