A representation of cryptocurrency Ethereum is seen next to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of Yuga Labs "Bored Ape Yacht Club" collection displayed on its website, in this illustration picture taken March 24, 2022.
A representation of cryptocurrency Ethereum is seen next to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of Yuga Labs "Bored Ape Yacht Club" collection displayed on its website, in this illustration picture taken March 24, 2022. Reuters / FLORENCE LO

Activision Blizzard President Daniel Alegre announced his departure from the company to become CEO of NFT company Yuga Labs.

Alegre has previously been named in a lawsuit alleging that Activision Blizzard wilfully misled the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about the details of its merger with Microsoft. Currently, 16 global regulatory bodies are investigating Activision's merger with Microsoft. Two lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. to stop the merger.

Yuga labs co-founder Wylie Aronow said in a Dec. 19 announcement that the company was "thrilled to have him join the team to help with our vision of a truly interoperable metaverse" and that Alegre will step into the CEO position in the first half of 2023.

Current CEO Nicole Muniz will remain with the company as a partner and advisor.

"Nicole, Greg [co-founder], and I have been on the hunt for someone with Daniel's skill set for some time," Aronow said. "He brings valuable experience across entertainment, e-commerce, and global strategic partnerships—all of which are critical aspects of an immersive web3 world built by creators and for creators."

Alegre previously held senior executive positions at Bertelsmann and Google.

"I am thrilled that we found Daniel to keep up the momentum and bring his gaming expertise to hugely ambitious projects like Otherside," Muniz said.

Yuga Labs is known for owning NFTs such as Bored Ape and CryptoPunks as the parent company of the Bored Ape Yacht Club. The company is also under investigation by the SEC over blockchain tokens and NFTs. NFT collectors also filed a class action lawsuit against Yuga, claiming that the company deceived buyers.