TheQuartering [8/12/2021]
Everyone is getting fired.
Three prominent Blizzard employees have been let go from the company, as first reported by Kotaku, marking the latest departures from the studio following a major sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the state of California. Diablo 4 game director Luis Barriga, lead designer Jesse McCree, and World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft are not employed at Blizzard anymore, according to Kotaku. Activision Blizzard confirmed the departures in a statement to The Verge after we published this story, but declined to comment on whether or not Barriga, McCree, and LeCraft were fired.
“We have a deep, talented roster of developers already in place and new leaders have been assigned where appropriate,” a Blizzard spokesperson said. “We are confident in our ability to continue progress, deliver amazing experiences to our players, and move forward to ensure a safe, productive work environment for all.”
Activision Blizzard has not shared why they are no longer at the company, according to a Kotaku source. McCree appears to be one of the people photographed inside Blizzard’s so-called “Cosby Suite,” in a screenshot obtained by Kotaku, and appeared to participate in the “BlizzCon Cosby Crew” chat. McCree is also the inspiration for the name of the McCree character in Overwatch; Michael Chu, the game’s former lead writer, revealed in 2017 that the real-life McCree had to “sign over his name” to the Overwatch team because they liked it for the gunslinging character more than many other ideas. (Some Overwatch League casters have avoided saying McCree’s name on air.) LeCraft was also pictured in the Cosby Suite, according to Kotaku’s new story.