Veteran Blizzard Executives Unite to Form Magic Soup Games

A trio of seasoned gaming industry professionals, including Jen Oneal, J. Allen Brack, and John Donham, have come together to establish Magic Soup Games, a pioneering fully remote games studio. Oneal, who previously held the position of executive vice president of development at Blizzard Entertainment, will assume the role of CEO at Magic Soup. Brack, a co-founder of the studio, brings a wealth of experience from his 15-year tenure at Blizzard, where he most recently served as president before departing in 2021. Donham, another key figure in the company's founding, boasts an impressive background that includes stints as chief of staff and vice president of special projects at Blizzard, as well as a recent role as general manager of gaming at Amazon. According to Oneal, the decision to form Magic Soup Games was driven by a shared vision for the types of games the trio wants to create, as well as a strong alignment on company values and objectives. "Our goal is to foster a culture that encourages creativity, collaboration, and diversity, even in a fully remote setting, as we believe this will be reflected in the quality of our games," she explained. The launch of Magic Soup Games comes approximately 16 months after Oneal's departure from Blizzard, where she had been serving as co-lead. Her exit was prompted by concerns over pay disparities, which she felt were not being adequately addressed by Activision Blizzard. Oneal's resignation was followed by a public statement in which she expressed her commitment to supporting Activision Blizzard employees in their efforts to drive meaningful, lasting change within the company.