New Leadership and Project Cancellation at Blizzard: A Shift in Direction
In a surprising turn of events, the president of Blizzard, Mike Ybarra, and the chief project officer, Allen Adham, have announced their departures from the studio. Alongside this news, Blizzard has also revealed the cancellation of their previously announced survival game. The executive departments responsible for World of Warcraft at the studio have been officially confirmed on Monday. On the same day, it was announced that Microsoft, the owner of Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard, would be laying off around 1,900 employees.
The departure of Blizzard’s president and chief project officer comes as a significant loss for the company. Matt Booty, the president of content and studios at Microsoft, mentioned in an internal letter, “As many of you know, Mike has spent over 20 years at Microsoft. Now, with the acquisition in place as the president of Blizzard, he has decided to leave the company” – as reported by The Verge.
The new president of Blizzard will be confirmed by Microsoft in the coming week. It is an important position to fill, as the impact of Mike Ybarra’s departure will be felt for years to come. Allen Adham, one of the founders of Blizzard, has had a wide influence on all the games released by the studio. Booty stated, “His impact will continue to be felt for many years, both directly and indirectly, as Allen plans to continue mentoring young designers in the industry.”
Sadly, the survival game that was announced in January 2022 is no longer in development. According to Booty, Microsoft will be reassigning some of the team members working on it to several promising new projects at Blizzard in the early stages of development.
The confirmation of the departure of Blizzard’s president and chief project officer came alongside the news of Microsoft planning to lay off approximately 8% of its gaming division workforce, which amounts to around 22,000 people.
In a letter sent to the employees, Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s gaming division, assured that the company would provide “full support for those impacted by the changes, including severance that will be shaped according to local employment regulations.”
According to Microsoft’s management, the decision was made after the executive teams of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard identified overlapping priorities and ensured alignment on the best development prospects.
Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in October of the previous year.
FAQ:
Q: Who left Blizzard Studios?
A: The president of Blizzard, Mike Ybarra, and the chief project officer, Allen Adham, left the studio.
Q: Which departments at Blizzard Studios are responsible for World of Warcraft?
A: The executive departments at Blizzard responsible for World of Warcraft have been officially confirmed.
Q: Who is the new president of Blizzard?
A: The new president of Blizzard will be confirmed by Microsoft in the coming week.
Q: What will happen to the announced survival game from Blizzard Studios?
A: The undisclosed survival game announced by Blizzard in January 2022 is no longer in development.
Q: What new projects will Blizzard be focusing on?
A: Microsoft will be reassigning some team members working on the canceled survival game to several promising new projects at Blizzard in the early stages of development.
Q: How many employees does Microsoft plan to lay off?
A: Microsoft plans to lay off approximately 8% of its gaming division workforce, which amounts to around 22,000 people.
Q: What support will be provided to the laid-off employees?
A: Microsoft will provide full support to the affected employees, including severance following local employment regulations.
Definitions:
– President of Blizzard: Mike Ybarra, the president of Blizzard Entertainment studio.
– Chief Project Officer: Allen Adham, the chief project officer at Blizzard Entertainment responsible for project management.
– World of Warcraft: A massively multiplayer online game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment.
– Microsoft: An American technology company primarily involved in software and IT services.
– Xbox Game Studios: The division of Microsoft responsible for game development and publishing.
– Bethesda: An American video game studio that was acquired by Microsoft.
– Activision Blizzard: An American video game studio that was acquired by Microsoft.
– Acquisition: The process of one company acquiring another.
– Survival Game: A video game genre where players have to survive in unknown conditions, often fighting for resources, food, and avoiding threats.
– Matt Booty: The president of content and studios at Microsoft.
– Phil Spencer: The head of Microsoft’s gaming division.
Related Links:
Xbox Homepage
World of Warcraft Homepage
The source of the article is from the blog girabetim.com.br