Jen Oneal steps down as co-director of Blizzard after just three months

Blizzard’s co-director Jen Oneal will retire after three months and will leave the company at the end of 2021. Oneal was appointed along with Mike Ybarra in August after the previous director, who has been linked to scandals, left.

Oneal writes that her departure does not mean that she has no ‘hope’ for Blizzard: “On the contrary, I am inspired by the passion of everyone who works here with all their heart for meaningful, lasting change. That energy inspired me to step out of my role.”

Oneal says she now wants to focus more on bringing games and diversity together, making a broader impact on the industry than just at Blizzard. She says she’s not quite sure what form that will take yet.

In the coming months, Oneal will work in a different role at Blizzard and she will leave for good at the end of this year. It is not known what role Oneal will play at Blizzard until the end of the year, but she will transfer all her responsibilities with immediate effect to Mike Ybarra, who will now take charge of the company single-handedly.

Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra were jointly put in charge of the game company in early August after J. Allen Brack resigned. He left after the company was accused of facilitating a “culture of sexual harassment” in the workplace. Brack was named in that indictment. Oneal spent 18 years with parent company Activision Blizzard in a variety of roles before becoming co-director of Blizzard Entertainment.