2021 was nothing less than a catastrophe for Blizzard. We reflect on all the incidents – so that one does not forget so quickly.
The year 2021 is drawing to a close, and a lot has happened in the video game industry. Unfortunately, much of it was quite unpleasant. Especially around Activision Blizzard – with a special focus on Blizzard – there were many, many scandals. Not only have the games mostly fallen in the community’s esteem, but the company itself has as well. A major sexism scandal and continued allegations and reports from victims have come to light. Something that has not ceased even to this day.
We take another look at the “scandal year” 2021 and list the key incidents in order. The perfect overview for anyone who maybe didn’t catch every incident – or has forgotten what actually happened.
The Year 2021 for Blizzard – A Horrifying Year Without Joy
Note that this listing does not claim to be exhaustive. The incidents and allegations are too numerous to list them all individually. However, this timeline should provide you with a good overview of how much happened at Activision Blizzard in 2021.
April 20: “Papa Jeff” Leaves
For Overwatch and Blizzard fans, this was a black day. Jeff Kaplan, one of Blizzard’s most important developers, is leaving. He announced his departure in an open letter and thanked everyone for 19 wonderful years.
Many know his work from World of Warcraft, as he was one of the original quest designers of the base game.
Jeff Kaplan was one of the most recognizable faces of Blizzard for many. A friendly man with plenty of self-irony, who always engaged with the community. He was seen during Christmas with his “Yule Log.” But even outside of that, there were always funny and entertaining stories about him – such as the parodies of his Overwatch announcements or the incident where an employee didn’t know his name.
July 20: The Great Lawsuit
Things really started getting “real” in July. On July 22, it became known that the state of California was suing Blizzard. At the core of the allegations was the “Frat Boy Culture” and “Sexual Harassment”.
The lawsuit followed a long-term investigation. It revealed that “male colleagues drank a lot of alcohol at work” and then moved from office to office of the female employees.
There were also reports of inappropriate advances and sexual harassment at events, such as BlizzCon.
July 21: Blizzard’s First Statement
The shitstorm on the internet was already raging when Blizzard released its first statement. They found the allegations outrageous. Many points there were simply wrong or heavily outdated. Blizzard claimed to have cooperated during the investigation and met all demands.
Especially the incident of a suicide within the company led to criticism. According to Blizzard, it was misrepresented, despite having nothing to do with the other incidents.
Indirectly, Blizzard also threatened the state of California – incidents like this and such “unjustified” lawsuits had repeatedly driven companies out of California in the past.
The statement led to over 2,000 current and former employees signing an internal letter. They no longer trusted the current leadership, which “placed employee safety” beneath corporate interests.
July 22: Blizzard CEO Speaks Out
The then Blizzard CEO, J. Allen Brack, wrote an internal email to all employees. He condemned the incidents that had occurred. He explicitly spoke out against the “Bro Culture” and stated that he had fought against such things throughout his entire career.
Almost simultaneously, Fran Townsend sent an internal email to the employees. The email stood in stark contrast to what Brack had written. Townsend claimed that the lawsuit painted a “distorted and untrue picture of the company” and that many of the incidents mentioned had been “taken out of context or were very old.” Such an accusation should not undermine the “culture of respect and equality” currently prevalent at Blizzard.
Blizzard employees then organized a “walkout” – they protested and expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership’s response. They felt that the problems and accusations were not being taken seriously, turning victims into perpetrators simply for speaking up and making accusations.
July 25: Work on World of Warcraft Comes to a Halt
Jeff Hamilton, the Senior Systems Designer of World of Warcraft, stated that due to the incidents work on the MMORPG is currently at a virtual standstill. He explained that the accusations needed to be taken seriously and addressed.
The team around World of Warcraft is currently unable to work due to Activision’s response. They would talk a lot among themselves and work through the situation internally. Hamilton said:
“Practically no work is currently being done on World of Warcraft while this obscenity unfolds. And that helps no one – not the players, not the developers, and not the shareholders.”
July 27: World of Warcraft Changes Game Content
The developers announced that they will be changing “inappropriate” content in World of Warcraft and WoW: Classic. Initially, this only affects the names of developers mentioned in the lawsuit. Particularly the many references to Alex Afrasiabi will be removed from the game.
But more is happening: Bobby Kotick, the CEO of Activision Blizzard, sends out his own statement, stating that the previous statement did not consider the concerns and problems of the employees. He promised that the company would investigate every allegation thoroughly and put its processes to the test.
On this day, the “walkout” also took place, where the Blizzard employees protested against the actions. They published a list of demands for changes.
August 3: The Blizzard CEO Resigns, Two New Leaders Step Up
J. Allen Brack resigned as president of Blizzard. According to his statement, he wants to “pursue other opportunities.” The leadership of the company transitioned to a dual leadership structure. Mike Ybarra and Jen Oneal were to jointly lead Blizzard.
The fact that a man and a woman took over leadership together was intended to send a message of equality and diversity in the company.
On the same day, the regular “Earnings Call” also took place – the ongoing lawsuit and the allegations were largely ignored at that meeting.
August 11: Blizzard Fires 3 Key Developers
It became known that 3 key developers at Blizzard no longer work there. They are Luis Barriga, the Director of Diablo 4, Jesse McCree, the Lead Level Designer, and Jonathan LeCraft.
The exact reasons for the departure of the employees were not disclosed, but it was strongly suspected that it was related to the current incidents. After all, McCree and LeCraft were also involved in the incident surrounding the so-called “Cosby Suite,” where some Blizzard executives were said to have enjoyed themselves with women after BlizzCon and behaved rather sexistly.
August 27: Overwatch Renames a Hero
After the allegations against Jesse McCree, after which the cowboy in Overwatch was named, the Overwatch team spoke out. They said they would be renaming McCree in the coming days and weeks. A new name was not revealed at that time, but they wanted to give the community a little lead time.
The renaming of a hero was controversially discussed and also led to delays in Overwatch content. Both caused frustration, although there were also many players who understood why the renaming had to happen.
September 14: Activision Blizzard Supposedly Suppresses Unionization
The employees of Activision Blizzard had previously formed the “ABK Worker Alliance,” which is now expressing criticism. Activision Blizzard has repeatedly tried to prevent the formation of a union, as efforts to do so were thwarted by management, and individuals with such thoughts were harassed to ensure that the formation did not succeed.
September 21: One of the Overwatch Heads Leaves
Although Overwatch 2 has not yet been released, Chacko Sonny has also left Blizzard. He was the Executive Producer of Overwatch (2) – a game that has been postponed indefinitely.
Chacko Sonny’s departure, however, seems not to be related to the ongoing investigations – there are no known complaints against him. Nevertheless, it must have been a heavy blow for the Overwatch team.
October 19: Blizzard Fires 20 More Employees
Fran Townsend stated that in recent weeks and months, after the allegations of harassment became known, over 20 employees have been let go. Although there are no name mentions of which employees exactly are affected, this should signify that they are taking the allegations seriously and are implementing consequences.
At the same time, it was announced that the “Ethics and Compliance” team has been expanded, and additional positions will be created in the coming years to oversee corporate culture and such allegations.
October 26: BlizzConline 2022 Is Canceled
Another bombshell news comes as BlizzConline 2022 has been canceled. This was a digital event, the online version of BlizzCon. New games were presented or upcoming releases were prepared, and information was exchanged with the communities of the games.
The cancellation of BlizzCon suggests to many players that no new games from Blizzard will be forthcoming anytime soon. The year 2022 is likely to be very sparse for gamers and Blizzard fans.
November 2: The Blizzard Co-CEO Resigns After Just a Few Months
Jen Oneal, who had just taken over Blizzard alongside Mike Ybarra as a leadership duo a few weeks ago, is leaving.
She is stepping down and leaving Blizzard to pursue new goals. The reason for her departure seems strange. In her announcement, she writes that she wants to “pursue new goals” and hopes to make an even greater impact on the industry elsewhere to promote diversity, inclusion, and the strengthening of women in the gaming industry.
Many are puzzled by this step.
November 16: CEO Bobby Kotick Comes Under Fire
The “top boss” Bobby Kotick is now under scrutiny for the scandal. A lengthy report from the Wall Street Journal reveals that Kotick has allegedly known about the abuse allegations for years but has kept them quiet.
Allegations also emerged that Kotick allegedly threatened a female employee with death.
November 17: Jen Oneal Reveals Salary Details
The departure of Jen Oneal apparently had other reasons. It has now been revealed that she was paid less than her colleague Mike Ybarra in the same position. Both had insisted on receiving the same salary for the position – but this was repeatedly denied.
Only when Oneal threatened to resign did they offer her an equal contract, which she then declined – her decision had already been made.
To employees and the community, it is clear: Activision Blizzard is not truly interested in equality and diversity if they do not even treat their two CEOs equally.
November 18: Employees Demand Kotick’s Resignation
In a petition, over 1,000 employees at Activision Blizzard are demanding the resignation of CEO Bobby Kotick. They believe that he is unable to address the problems since he has downplayed and covered them up for years.
November 22: Bobby Kotick Considers Resigning
CEO Bobby Kotick is at least considering resigning if he cannot address the issues at Activision Blizzard “in a timely and efficient manner.” He does not tie a specific date to these words.
December 5: Activision Blizzard Fires Many QA Employees
It was announced that Activision Blizzard will be letting go of numerous quality assurance employees between December 3 and 8 – a shocking development for those affected. Anger and confusion are being reported from many sides.
December 6: Game Awards Exclude Activision Blizzard
The event “The Game Awards” excludes Activision Blizzard from all promotions. There will be no trailers or other content, only the existing nominations will continue to be considered.
The Game Awards are an annual event that not only honors the best games, but many developers also showcase new trailers and announce games – the perfect venue for PR in a positive atmosphere.
What Happens Next in 2022?
This is quite an exciting question. It is clear that the pressure on Blizzard will not let up anytime soon. Whether it’s the employees, the gaming community, the investors, or other figures in the industry – the focus on Activision Blizzard will remain for quite a while.
Whether Bobby Kotick will still be CEO at the end of the year remains questionable. The pressure is increasing from all sides. If Activision Blizzard cannot turn its corporate culture around by 180° in the next 12 months, Kotick will likely become untenable – especially since he has already hinted at resignation if he cannot solve the problems in a timely and efficient manner.
Above all, 2022 must be a year of healing for Blizzard.
However, aside from all the scandals, Blizzard must diligently work on its games to rekindle the old fans’ enthusiasm. Overwatch 2, Diablo IV, and the next WoW expansion are all likely not to be released in 2022, but they should all be in the peak of their development.
2022 will be the year in which no major leaps from Blizzard are expected to be visible externally. It is basically the “grace period” and healing phase that must be given time.
Only in 2023 will it be determined whether Activision Blizzard can impress with its games again and has managed to get a handle on its corporate culture.
However, whether the time will return when one could say with a clear conscience: “So I only play Blizzard games!” … that is more than questionable.
