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ACTIVISION BLIZZARD LAWSUIT
Publisher Activision Blizzard, responsible for the game this article refers to, is currently embroiled in ongoing litigation in regards to claims reporting a workplace culture that allegedly enabled acts of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination. Read our Activision Blizzard lawsuit timeline of events for ongoing coverage of the events.
Activision Blizzard has confirmed that two key Diablo 4 developers are no longer employed at the company.
Originally reported by Kotaku, Diablo 4 director, Luis Barriga, and lead designer, Jesse McCree, are confirmed to no longer be working at Activision Blizzard. In addition, World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft is no longer employed at the company.
Activision Blizzard confirmed these departures in a statement to Kotaku which stated:
“We can confirm Luis Barriga, Jesse McCree, and Jonathan LeCraft are no longer with the company.
“We have a deep, talented roster of developers already in place and new leaders have been assigned where appropriate. 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.”
According to Kotaku’s report, the three developers have since been removed from Blizzard’s internal employee directory and Slack channels. Barriga and McCree’s developer headshots and bios have also been removed from the company’s press site (which TechRadar has confirmed).
Activision Blizzard has not confirmed a reason for these departures.
Barriga, McCree and LeCraft have left Activision Blizzard closely after former president J. Allen Brack stepped down from his role to "pursue other opportunities." Jesse Meschuk, Blizzard's Senior Vice President for Global HR, also departed the company recently.
Activision Blizzard is currently embroiled in ongoing litigation in regards to claims of a workplace culture that allegedly enabled acts of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination. It has not been confirmed that the ongoing litigation and departures are linked in any way.
It’s unclear whether the departures of Barriga and McCree, two of Diablo 4’s most senior staff, and the ongoing litigation against Activision Blizzard will affect Diablo 4’s development at this time.