We now have a much better picture of why former Blizzard co-lead Jennifer Oneal left the company earlier this month. In the same Wall Street Journal report that details how Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick knew about his company's toxic work culture for years, an email from Jen Oneal confirms she received unequal pay compared to her male counterpart.
Oneal became Blizzard co-lead with Mike Ybarra after former president J. Allen Brack stepped down in August. Not three months later, Oneal herself stepped down from her new position leading to a management shuffle that delayed both Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4.
In a lengthy blog post, Oneal praised staff and co-workers but didn't provide a reason for her departure. However, emails obtained by The Wall Street Journal reveal Oneal had lost faith in Activision leadership's ability to turn around its toxic work culture, writing “it was clear that the company would never prioritize our people the right way.”
Not only that, but Oneal found out she was making less money than her male co-lead not even a month after Blizzard employees walked off the job demanding more equitable pay. “I have been tokenized, marginalized, and discriminated against,” Oneal said before tending her resignation.
Oneal's email also painted the disturbing picture of a party she attended with CEO Bobby Kotick in 2007 where "scantily clad women danced on stripper poles" and a DJ encouraged female partygoers to drink in order for the men to have a good time. The email shows a trend from Kotick to mistreat female staffers, up to and even including making threats on their lives.
Activision Blizzard workers staged a walkout today to call for Kotick's resignation in light of the bombshell report. They’re also calling for a third-party evaluation of Activision Blizzard’s pay policies--a move that might have prevented Oneal from leaving in the first place.