Recently, a person familiar with the matter told Kotaku that Diablo 4 game director Luis Barriga, game design director Jesse McCree and World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft were fired by Blizzard on Wednesday.
The decision has not yet been officially announced. A source confirmed that the names of these three developers are no longer visible in Blizzard’s internal employee roster or contact group. An Activision Blizzard spokesperson confirmed the resignation of the three in an email. He said: It can be confirmed that Luis Barriga, Jesse McCree and Jonathan LeCraft are no longer in the company.
We have a large number of talented developers and have appointed new leaders. We are confident to move on, provide an amazing experience for our fans, and ensure that our employees are in a safe and efficient work environment.
Activision Blizzard did not disclose the reasons for the dismissal of the three, but a source said that the three may be related to the recent allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination. Jesse McCree and Jonathan LeCraft appeared in the infamous Bill Cosby suite.
The previous Diablo 4 developer version number has been updated, suggesting that the main body of the game has been completed. The resignation of the game director and supervisor of Diablo 4 may have some impact on game development. Hope the follow-up development goes smoothly.
