Activision Blizzard has barely been out of the headlines this year, and the latest news at the company involves a major shake-up at the top and an intersection with NFTs.
According to a filing by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (thanks, GamesIndustry), Activision Blizzard's president and chief operating officer, Daniel Alegre, is stepping down when his current contract ends on March 31, 2023.
At the time, he was said to be leaving the company for "another opportunity" – which, as Bloomberg has now revealed, is a chief executive position at Yuga Labs. If you know your NFTs, you'll know this company for launching one of the most successful NFT projects to date, the Bored Ape Yacht Club.
Despite the negativity (and mounting lawsuits) surrounding NFTs and the falling value of cryptocurrency, Yuga Labs has bold ambitions. Alegre's hiring comes as the company prepares to launch its new metaverse project, Otherside, next year.
Discussing the move on Twitter, Alegre said Yuga Labs "is a creative powerhouse driving innovation and storytelling in Web3. I am extremely excited to lead the team to the next phase of growth."
@YugaLabs — home of @boredapeyc, @othersidemeta, @cryptopunksnfts, and more — is a creative powerhouse driving innovation and storytelling in Web3. I am extremely excited to lead the team to the next phase of growth. https://t.co/hS6O9DKhUTDecember 19, 2022
We don't yet know who will be replacing Alegre at Activision Blizzard, but whoever does so will take the reigns during a hugely challenging time for the company. As well as facing multiple lawsuits, the company is in the midst of a $69 billion takeover by Microsoft, which the Federal Trade Commission is now challenging. Despite the setback, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick is confident "this deal will close".
Microsoft recently revealed they proposed a 10-year plan to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles to Sony, but the tech giant wasn't impressed.
