Activision Blizzard has moved its Vicarious Visions studio from the Activision side of the company to the Blizzard side.
The publisher told me today GamesIndustry.biz that it is effective today, Vicarious Visions joins with Blizzard Entertainment.
Going forward, the Vicarious Visions team of approximately 200 people will be employees of Blizzard and “fully committed to existing Blizzard games and initiatives,” meaning that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 studio will no longer be making games like lead developer.
After working with Vicarious Visions for some time and developing a great relationship, Blizzard realized there was an opportunity for [Vicarious Visions] to provide long-term support, “a representative explained to us, declining to specify what the team has been working with Blizzard for, and for how long.
As part of the move, Jen Oneal, studio head of Vicarious Visions, has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Development at Blizzard, where she will join the company’s management team and report directly to Blizzard President J. Allen Brack.
Oneal will be replaced in the studio lead role of Vicarious Visions by Simon Ebejer, who previously worked for the studio as chief operating officer.
Vicarious Visions was acquired by Activision in 2005 and has worked on many of the publisher’s biggest franchises over the years, including Guitar Hero, Spider-Man, Tony Hawk, Crash Bandicoot, Destiny, Skylanders and Call of Duty.
The studio remains in Albany, New York.