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According to a report from Kotaku, Activision Blizzard has cut ties with Diablo IV game director Luis Barriga, lead designer Jesse McCree, and World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft. Kotaku has received this news from two unnamed, insider sources, but has reportedly received confirmation from an Activision Blizzard spokesperson after reaching out for comment, also adding “We have a deep, talented roster of developers already in place and new leaders have been assigned where appropriate. We are confident in our ability to continue progress, deliver amazing experiences to our players, and move forward to ensure a safe, productive work environment for all.”

While no reason for their dismissal was given, it comes in the wake of a flurry of sexual harassment allegations against the publishing giant, leading to a lawsuit from the State of California and the president of Blizzard stepping down.

Source

 

[CeeDee]

If your first thoughts about these firings are "but what will come of the fun product?" you gotta realize this stuff is more important than just video games. Sexual harassment has no good place in the industry, and cleaning that gunk out of shitty AAA companies is more important than worrying what will happen to Diablo 4.

 

[Nincompoopdo]

Blizzard is diabolical.

 

[Xzi]

NEVER PREORDER THEIR GAME!

I pre-ordered D2R, sorry. Obviously I knew what I was getting into with that though, and early access to the beta started today. It's fantastic. Gotta feel bad for Vicarious Visions, who were acquired by Blizzard just a few days prior to the news about these scandals breaking.

Blizzard is diabolical.

I see whut u did thar.

 

[kiaghi7]

While I utterly despise what BlizzTARD-CRAPtivision has become in recent years, I do love some of their IPs like Diablo which I played the hell out of in D1 and D2, enjoyed D3 even though it was a lobotomized experience geared heavily toward the "real money auction house" and the always-online model just killed it for me in the long run.
Ultimately, I do want them to straighten themselves out and stop being miserable toward their own fans/customers, caring more for beating customers like a money pinata rather than focusing on making a product that they will happily throw their money at precisely because it doesn't try to extort them and is a good experience that the player finds rewarding, not perpetually taxing.
I am hesitant to even give BlizzTARD-CRAPtivision the slightest mental energy beyond acknowledging they exist until I see that the game is good and redeems the sullied name of Diablo... yes, I have a phone, and no I don't want Diablo on it.

 

[MetoMeto]

i presume by sexual harassment they mean that someone looked at someone the wrong way....thats sexual harassment these days....

 

[Chary]

i presume by sexual harassment they mean that someone looked at someone the wrong way....thats sexual harassment these days....

Have you tried reading what happened rather than just brush off what happened?

The DFEH found that women employed at Activision Blizzard made less money than male employees with the same job title or for the same amount of work, in addition to finding that women were fired on a much more frequent basis compared to men, despite the former only making up around 20% of the company's workforce. Other claims include that Activision's higher-ups are complicit in and take part in disrespectful "cube crawl" events, where male employees will, "drink copious amounts of alcohol as they "crawl" their way through various cubicles in the office and often engage in inappropriate behavior toward female employees".

Among other allegations that involved workers sharing nudes of an employee, a relationship with a superior that might not have been entirely consensual, and possibly lead to an employee's suicide.

https://aboutblaw.com/YJw

 

[ov3rkill]

I wonder when Bobby Kotick will step down

He probably won't step down unless some other company takes him in. I think he just loves power too much to let it go.

 

[MetoMeto]

Have you read what happened?

No. I just saw "sexual harassment".

Not talking about this per se, but saying in general
what's considered sexual harassment these days.

 

[the_randomizer]

Be a shame if their games didn't generate as many sales and were instead pirated heavily.

 

[CoolMe]

Let's hope they rework on Diablo IV, and improve on gameplay ideas..

 

[Dr_Faustus]

If your first thoughts about these firings are "but what will come of the fun product?" you gotta realize this stuff is more important than just video games. Sexual harassment has no good place in the industry, and cleaning that gunk out of shitty AAA companies is more important than worrying what will happen to Diablo 4.

Its more complicated than that however, and the point is that gunk/scummy people will always exist in all forms/ways. The core issue is not so much removing the gunk but rather fixing the filter that prevents the gunk from the first place, and that solely a problem at the executive branch of the company. What I mean to say here is that these people may have always been scum in their ways or mindsets however depending on their environment that personality can either be restrained or completely forbidden within their workplace. The executive branch of this company however did nothing on the matter and in some cases seem to actively encourage it which is what resulted in this behavior being so rampant and common.

Removing these people on paper might seem like a good idea, but the reality is they would not have to be removed at all if the company culture was kept in check and not let devolve in such a way. Plus and ultimately so, firing them is not going to fix the issue that whoever you bring in next is somehow not going to be in some way or another be any better if again, the executive branch of people keep allowing this behavior to keep happening. THEY are the ones that need to be replaced/fired. You fix the problems at the top, and the resolution will change everything downward.

 

[CeeDee]

the executive branch of people keep allowing this behavior to keep happening. THEY are the ones that need to be replaced/fired. You fix the problems at the top, and the resolution will change everything downward.

Yeah, no, I totally agree. Get rid of the shitty leadership too. They're part of the problem - a crucial part of it.

 

[Julie_Pilgrim]

I wonder when Bobby Kotick will step down

I wonder when Bobby Kotick will step down

Not soon enough.

NEVER PREORDER THEIR GAME!

Hopefully we see Bobby leaving soon