Jen Oneal leaving Blizzard after 2 months as Co-Leader

[Daara]

https://venturebeat.com/2021/11/02/j...mes-sole-boss/

[EbaumsTipster]

So they hired her solely to have a woman's face on the front page, or what?

[Lorgar Aurelian]

So they hired her solely to have a woman's face on the front page, or what?

they likely didn't know she was going to leave because they look like abunch of Mooks now because of it.

[korijenkins]

"Oneal is leaving Activision Blizzard to focus on bringing more diversity to the gaming industry."

Weird, seems like being one of the few women in a lead position for a major developer, she was doing that already. Honestly I don't think there was a need for a co-leader setup at the top, and it seems like it was only done to appear that changes were happening within the studio when the reality was the environment was already toxic with her as a leader at VV.

Good luck to her, though I expect she's embarking on an impossible task trying to increase diversity in a field where the applicants for positions are so heavily skewed towards men that it's nearly impossible.

[DemonHunter18]

LMAO nice.

[korijenkins]

they likely didn't know she was going to leave because they look like abunch of Mooks now because of it.

They certainly do lol. This company's moves are either extremely obvious as just that, moves, or they're all incompetents.

[Zenfoldor]

Wow, everyday I get sadder about what could have been for Vicarious Visions. Such a sad way for a great studio to go(Vicarious Visions, not Blizzard). I hope Jen Oneal goes on to have a wonderful career away from ActiBlizz.

[The Stormbringer]

This feels like they knew she was going to leave and just put her in a co-lead position to look good for the couple of months or so she would be around.

[Aurora]

Staff also weren't informed of this at all and found out during the shareholder meeting with everyone else.

https://twitter.com/catoncoals/statu...37060707143680

[McNeil]

I was about to say I knew that name from somewhere…

Well good for Mike Ybarra to take over

[Coniferous]

"Oneal is leaving Activision Blizzard to focus on bringing more diversity to the gaming industry."

Weird, seems like being one of the few women in a lead position for a major developer, she was doing that already. Honestly I don't think there was a need for a co-leader setup at the top, and it seems like it was only done to appear that changes were happening within the studio when the reality was the environment was already toxic with her as a leader at VV.

Good luck to her, though I expect she's embarking on an impossible task trying to increase diversity in a field where the applicants for positions are so heavily skewed towards men that it's nearly impossible.

And where can you do more to add diversity - as the co-head of a big gaming studio, or working for a small nonprofit?

Obviously, there's more to this story. It might just be that she decided to retire and there's nothing nefarious going on, but we don't have the full story.

[Lochton]

https://venturebeat.com/2021/11/02/j...mes-sole-boss/

Well, she's not going that far away though, she's just done her own soul searching and decided that she might be able to do more working with 'Women in Games International' and ABK. So, she's not left Blizzard completely, just transitioned to ABK.

Though it did seem silly to put two on the same role, and it was bound to happen that one was going to detach from it and do something else.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

She was there for 91 days. Does anyone know what she actually did during her tenure?

[Kralljin]

This feels like they knew she was going to leave and just put her in a co-lead position to look good for the couple of months or so she would be around.

If she wanted to look good, leaving after the merger would've been the better call.

Dropping a job after two months raises a lot more questions than taking your leave as CEO when your company is (i assume forcibly) absorbed into another one.

She was there for 91 days. Does anyone know what she actually did during her tenure?

I'm going to guess that was likely involved in making plans to restructure the companies internal processes (Development, HR, general communication, etc..).

Like, that's what Company leaders do when they're suddenly put in charge of what is basically a burning ship.

[Lochton]

Wow, everyday I get sadder about what could have been for Vicarious Visions. Such a sad way for a great studio to go(Vicarious Visions, not Blizzard). I hope Jen Oneal goes on to have a wonderful career away from ActiBlizz.

She stays in cooperation with ABK.

[The Stormbringer]

If she wanted to look good, leaving after the merger would've been the better call.

Dropping a job after two months raises a lot more questions than taking your leave as CEO when your company is (i assume forcibly) absorbed into another one.

Who says it was about her looking good? I think it's about the company looking good. They may have offered her a fat payday to sign on for a new position for those two months and she said 'sure'. We'll probably never know, I just think it looks suspiciously like ActiBlizz trying to make themselves look good instead of actually changing something.

[deenman]

wow saved,we got em

[Kralljin]

Who says it was about her looking good? I think it's about the company looking good. They may have offered her a fat payday to sign on for a new position for those two months and she said 'sure'. We'll probably never know, I just think it looks suspiciously like ActiBlizz trying to make themselves look good instead of actually changing something.

A Co lead dropping out after 3 months does by no means make (Activision) Blizzard look good, especially given Blizzards situation.

It more comes over as "fuck it, this ship is not salvageable".

[Lochton]

A Co lead dropping out after 3 months does by no means make (Activision) Blizzard look good, especially given Blizzards situation.

It more comes over as "fuck it, this ship is not salvageable".

But if it was, then how come the person agreed to go into the hull and help patch the holes?

[Gaidax]

The plot thickens.