Blizzard's reputation has gone from bad to worse over the past few years. In 2021, after the California Department of Fair Employment filed a lawsuit against Blizzard for "unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation," details of the company's poor work culture were exposed, triggering a public outcry. Subsequently, Blizzard made numerous promises that it would address these issues. In January 2022, then-President Mike Ybarra explained in an article that the company had formulated a clear internal code of conduct and made a number of personnel appointments to improve company culture, human resources, and internal equality.

However, three years after the original incident, former "Overwatch 2" artist Chris Sayers' revelations cast doubt on Blizzard's efforts to improve.

Sayers took to social media Thursday night to share his experience leaving Blizzard. He was promoted to the special effects team leader of the art team of "Overwatch 2" in July 2023. However, according to his description, during his six months at Blizzard, he was "under pressure" due to various inappropriate behaviors by management. These behaviors include lying, PUA and "fake promotions."

In a lengthy tweet posted on social media, Sayers explained that the trouble started with the alleged promotion. "In July 2023, the art leadership and production departments invited me to a meeting and stated that they wanted to promote me to the special effects team leader of the art team." Sayers had only been working at Blizzard for six months at the time, but he accepted the position. Before accepting, however, he insisted that both parties agree on the details, "what it means, what I will do, and what the 'promotion' will entail (salary increase, change of title)."

"Leadership, including the lead VFX artist, art director, associate art director, production director and HR, were all present at the time," he said. "Everyone was 'pleased' with what was agreed upon and said I would 'begin work immediately and details will be provided by the end of the week.'"

The first warning signs came days after Sayers started his new role. “On Friday of that week, there was nothing,” he wrote, “but the production director announced my promotion to the entire team last Thursday!”

Although Sayers was "very excited" at the time, he didn't pay much attention to the issue. However, reality soon calmed him down when one of his first jobs was to "fire one of my new reports because he refused to return to the office." Sayers noted that the man who was fired was "one of his closest friends" on the team and that he was "awaiting medical mediation because he needed to care for his parents." To this, Blizzard management allegedly responded, "Yeah, we wouldn't do that for a junior employee." Blizzard management also allegedly refused to hire interns to help with Sayers' job, which now included his previous job, his new job, and the work of the artist he had just fired.

A month later, Sayers said he still had not received the pay increase and job title change he deserved. Blizzard reportedly told him he would have to wait until August to receive written details. At this time, he also discovered that "my salary was more than 50% lower than all other lead special effects artists at Blizzard, so that as a leader, my salary was lower than everyone I managed." Blizzard management explained that this was because he lived in the UK and his salary was based on "market value, not my value." Sayers brought the matter to HR, who responded, "Why should I pay you more? It makes no sense."

After three months with no sign of a raise or promotion, Sayers issued an ultimatum to management. "If there is no written information by September 1st, I will stop working immediately." He said HR responded to him immediately and asked, "What promotion? I don't know what you are talking about?" Sayers then filed a formal complaint. According to Sayers, the response from Blizzard HR was a series of excuses, such as "you seem confused," "no promotion," and "leadership is a lateral move."

Sayers' formal complaint triggered an investigation, which concluded "a few weeks later" that "HR did nothing wrong and followed all procedures". Sayers responded by handing in a letter of resignation, and things got bizarre, as Sayers describes below:

"Then HR told me!!! Because of my role as a leader!!! I gained unexplained knowledge that would make it a business risk for me to work anywhere else!!! So they activated the non-compete clause banning me from anywhere for 3 months!!!"

"You're probably thinking, 'Oh, that's like three months of paid leave, right? You can't keep someone home for three months without spending any money, right?' But that's what they're doing, and it's completely legal, because I'm just so unlucky???"

In other words, Blizzard banned Sayers from any work for three months and provided no compensation to cover the non-compete clause. Sayers explained that he couldn't survive three months without income, and Blizzard's response was allegedly: "Then you shouldn't have signed the contract then."

The story ends like this. Sayers ended his post by thanking people who "purchased one of his coaching sessions or portfolio reviews" late last year, as it truly "saved his life." He also emphasized how much he enjoys working with the Overwatch 2 team in addition to management. “They are warm, friendly, fun, friendly and talented.”

One of the key changes Ybarra made in the aftermath of the lawsuit was to hire "a new organizational leader responsible for building trust." The studio was also said to have an "upward feedback program" to evaluate management, however it sounds like Sayers' feedback wasn't taken seriously at all. In fact, he made it clear that "Blizzard had countless opportunities to do the right thing, but they failed time and time again."

Sayers now works as a lead special effects artist at Anchor Point Studios, which was founded in 2022 and is currently developing its unannounced first project.