Blizzard Boss Details Attempts To Change Company Culture
In a recent interview, Blizzard studio head Mike Ybarra attempted to address criticism of the developer, foregrounding changes to company culture and defending Diablo Immortal.
In a profile from the LA Times, Ybarra stated that he believes Blizzard is addressing the employee concerns that are in his control, though he acknowledged that it is an ongoing process. When asked what actions he is taking to change Blizzard, he said, “We have taken two or three key people who identify as women, across every team, and I meet monthly with them. We talk about what will make Blizzard great for women. Our hope is that employees recognize these changes, and people start feeling more safe and more comfortable here.” He emphasized that these meetings are not only with high-level staff, but with entry- and mid-level employees. He also expressed a commitment toward equal pay and said that recent hires Jessica Martinez and Makaiya Brown are making the development process more equitable.
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On the business side, Ybarra defended Diablo Immortal’s microtransactions, saying, “The philosophy was always to lead with great gameplay and make sure that hundreds of millions of people can go through the whole campaign without any costs. From that standpoint, I feel really good about it as an introduction to Diablo.” Blizzard recently outlined plans for the free-to-play mobile title, but did not address criticism of the monetization. Ybarra expressed a desire to release more games more
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