Oneal's sudden departure came just before Blizzard announced it is "planning for a later launch. "Though we will all miss 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. I truly believe that."Īlongside Oneal's departure, Activision Blizzard announced a donation of $1 million to Women in Games International, a nonprofit where Oneal serves on the board. "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. "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.
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. On Tuesday, though, Oneal announced her sudden departure as the company continues to navigate lawsuits surrounding accusations of widespread harassment. Further Reading Blizzard president ends 16-year tenure amid lawsuit falloutIt'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.