Activision Blizzard president leaves to focus on the important things in life: Bored Ape NFTs

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Daniel Alegre will be joining Yuga Labs in early 2023

Activision Blizzard
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

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."

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. 

Anne-Marie Ostler
Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.