Blizzard Co-Founder Mike Morhaime Resigns As Company President
All good things must come to an end, and that also includes the departure of Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime from the titan of a video game company. After 27 years of service in the booming industry, Morhaimed publicly stated his resignation alongside colleague J. Allen Brack with a heartfelt message, who will take his place on the throne.
Since 1991, Morhaime has dedicated his life’s work to Blizzard after having found the company with the goal to “make great games” for people everywhere. His adventure all began when Blizzard was just a fledgling developer called Silicon & Synapse, and he went on to be executive producer for the trio of Warcraft games, World of Warcraft, the Diablo series, and the original Starcraft. In a lengthy statement provided on Wednesday, Morhaime did his official due diligence before stepping down as president. Here’s a short snippet:
I am grateful to all of the hardworking and talented people at Blizzard for their dedication and creativity. Their belief in our mission and care for our players has helped Blizzard reach greater heights than I ever could have imagined.
I am also grateful to all of you in the community. We have been through so much together. Not only have you been with me through many of the greatest moments and biggest triumphs of my life, but you have also been there through some of the most difficult. I am fortunate to have been able to meet many of you in person, while the many messages, emails, Tweets, Reddit discussions, and forum posts have provided an unbelievable connection as well. Even Twitch chat. It has always brought me joy, comfort, and inspiration to see the beacons of brilliance, voices of reason, and the passion that exists and evolves every day in all of our communities.”
This won’t be the last we’ll see of Morhaime, however. Instead, he will continue to serve as an adviser to the company, and continue to his own personal quest as a “fellow Blizzard gamer.” Taking on the role as president of a video game developer like this one will be no easy task, and thankfully Brack will have Morhaime as a guide. Following the aforementioned statement, Brack offered a few words as well:
Today has been a swirl of emotions. First, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to Mike. His work on some of our industry’s most iconic games is the reason I came to Blizzard. Not only is he an inspiring leader, but he’s also been a wise and patient mentor to me during my time at Blizzard. And he’s been a good friend. Joining the World of Warcraft team and my favorite game company nearly 13 years ago was an unimaginable dream. Now, to be chosen to lead Blizzard into the future is both a huge honor, and a tremendous responsibility.”
To read both Brack’s and Morhaime’s statements in full, be sure to view them here at the official Blizzard blog. What are your personal feelings of his departure from the company? Are you sad to see him go or should the legacy continue with a fresh perspective? Let us know what you think in the comments section below or start a conversation on DFTG Facebook page. To stay up to date on gaming news as it happens, follow us on Twitter! Here’s some of our latest:
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Hoi is an elusive figure at DFTG, whose favorite past-times include chillin' in the Fade, reading manga, watching anime, collecting novelty items, and gaming.
