Diablo IV ‘s Director and one of its Lead Designers have left Blizzard Entertainment, amid a troubling time for the company.
Last night Kotaku reported that Luis Barriga, director on Diablo 4, as well as Jesse McCree, a lead designer on the game have left the company. No reason has been officially given for their departures.
Blizzard issued a statement that fans worried about how this might affect Diablo IV needn’t worry, with their replacements already starting work on the project.
“We can confirm Luis Barriga, Jesse McCree, and Jonathan LeCraft are no longer with the company,” an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said. “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.”
While no one has linked the departure to the ongoing California Department of Fair Employment & Housing (DFEH) lawsuit against the company, the lawsuit continues to hang above the company’s every action. It alleges a culture of harassment and discrimination at Blizzard, ans puts blame on the higher ups for enabling it.
According to Kotaku, Jesse McCree was one of the names implicated in the now-infamous Cosby Suite, a a hotel suite owned by World of Warcraft Creative Director Alex Afrasiabi. Afrasiabi was singled out by name in the DFEH lawsuit.
This joins a list of high-profile departures from Blizzard, alongside former studio head J.Allen Brack.
via Polygon
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