Diablo 4's lead designer Jesse McCree and game director Luis Barriga have left Activision Blizzard alongside World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft according to a new Kotaku report.
Content warning for sexual assault and suicide.
"We have a deep, talented roster of developers already in place and new leaders have been assigned where appropriate," an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said. "We are confident in our ability to progress, deliver amazing experiences to our players, and move forward to ensure a safe, productive work environment for all."
Activision Blizzard has not clarified why these three have been let go, however it comes amidst the allegations and reports of sexual harassment and discrimination within the company. The aforementioned Jesse McCree and Jonathan LeCraft can be seen in a photo of the "Cosby Suite" from BlizzCon 2013 which was leaked alongside alleged screenshots of men from the studio talking about women they were going to bring to the suite for sexual interactions. Bill Cosby, for context, was convicted for sexual assaulting 2018, following years of allegations that started in 2005.
Also pictured above in the now-infamous Cosby Suite is Cory Stockton, a lead game designer at Blizzard, who was reportedly put on leave last week. Earlier this month, president J. Allen Brack also left Activision Blizzard amidst the reports while Bush-era torture apologist Frances Townsend recently stood down from the company's women network. This was following a slew of controversy, most recently her sharing of an article which she captioned, "The Problem With Whistleblowing." It was criticized for being ill-timed and threatening given the current context.
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard on July 20 after years of investigating reports from women who had stories of harassment and abuse in the workplace. According to the lawsuit, one woman committed suicide after nude photos of her were allegedly shared around the office without her consent. Since the lawsuit was filed, there has been a major walkout from staff which Activision Blizzard responded to with apologies (one even slated by CEO Bobby Kotick) and the hiring of a union-busting law firm, the same one Amazon uses.
Only yesterday, Activision Blizzard's shareholder group lambasted the choice of law firm, calling the gaming giant's response "inadequate" while telling the company that it needs to do more.
Kotick has stated that he wants Activision Blizzard's handling of these allegations to set a standard in the industry but so far, the flames have yet to be fanned. Victims are still stepping up, employees are still unhappy with the responses, and the lawsuit has not even come to an end yet.