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Rob Pardo Leaving Blizzard Entertainment
Originally Posted by Rob Pardo (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Every ending is a beginning and today marks a new beginning for me.

After 17 years at Blizzard, with long and careful contemplation, I have made a difficult and bittersweet but ultimately exciting decision to pursue the next chapter in my life and career.

Before I even joined Blizzard, I was already a huge fan of the company and its games. In particular, I was extremely passionate about the emerging genre of real-time strategy games. It was a dream come true when I was given the opportunity to work on StarCraft, which at the time was being created by a very small team by today’s standards. It was tremendously fulfilling to get to know everyone on the team personally and to contribute our energies toward a shared goal in such a creative and engaging environment.

Blizzard Entertainment has been simply the best place in the world to be a game designer. The best aspect of designing games at Blizzard is that the entire company is passionate about the gameplay within each and every product. From the executive team to customer service to our global offices, every single person is a player and contributes to making the best possible games. It’s for very good reason that the first credit on every Blizzard game is “Game Design by Blizzard Entertainment.”

I’m really proud of the contributions I was able to make to Blizzard’s accomplishments. From building lasting games, to supporting the growth of eSports, to extending the Warcraft world into a feature film, and of course to being able to celebrate our shared passions with the Blizzard community online and at BlizzCon.

The Blizzard community is ultimately the reason why we come to work every day and pour our souls into every world and experience we create. Blizzard’s players are the most passionate in the world and your commitment and dedication are truly awesome to behold. Creating entertainment for you has been an incredible opportunity, and I know that you will continue to grow and become even stronger as a community over the years to come. It has been so meaningful on a personal level to help create joy for all of you.

I’m looking forward to new challenges in my career, but I will always cherish the time I spent with you all and the amazing and collaborative teams at Blizzard. It was both satisfying and humbling, and it made me a better developer and a better person. I look forward to playing Blizzard games as a player for many years to come. Most important, now I have plenty of time to learn how to build a competitive Hearthstone deck.

As to what I will be doing next, I don’t have an answer for you yet . . . but I will “when it’s ready.” My priorities are to enjoy the summer with my family, play plenty of games, and think about what’s next. The game industry is such an exciting place right now with PC gaming thriving, the new consoles, mobile games, and virtual reality becoming an actual reality. It’s like having an empty quest log and going into a new zone for the first time.

In the past, I haven’t been the most avid Twitter user, but I’ll strive to do better and keep you updated there—@Rob_Pardo. Please stay in touch!

Rob
This article was originally published in forum thread: Rob Pardo Leaving Blizzard Entertainment started by chaud View original post
Comments 591 Comments
  1. mmoc10bda09cc4's Avatar
    Oh boy here we go
  1. Jokerfiend's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Xayl1 View Post
    not likely to be honest. when a dude of his position leaves it isn't a quick all of a sudden sort of thing. the dev teams and people in the studio have likely known he was leaving for monthsand any impact to the development of the game has likely happened already for better or worse.
    Absolutely true, which is why these changes are likely due to a creative designer hitting the door.

    This might be the thing that was going on at Blizzard. I mean 17 years, you don't leave a job after 17 years. You get fired from a job after 17 years. He was damn near retirement, and was damn near a colonial member.

    Sure, he might be crying on a bed of money and can retire anyways. But you don't throw his status and contributions away after that long.
  1. Zephre's Avatar
    He hasn't done much in recent years prior to work on WOD wasn't his last involvement with WoW back during TBC?

    Either way he'll be a loss to a company that's grown used to him over the years he's worked there. I personally think he should of done more to stop Blizzard implementing micro-transactions since he himself supposedly opposed them back during 2008.
  1. skyviannes's Avatar
    Rob Pardo new creative lead on Half Life 3 CONFIRMED
  1. mmoc67e7f8beac's Avatar
    One less homophobic bigot in the game industry. Champagne.jpg
  1. sizzlinsauce's Avatar
    I would like to point out something very important here. do you notice the most popular versions of world of warcraft he was design / lead design of?

    Lead Designer

    World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
    World of Warcraft

    Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
    Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
    StarCraft: Brood War

    Designer

    World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor[5]
    Diablo II
    Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition
    StarCraft
    Diablo III


    I'm willing to bet he was silently ousted for more EA-milk the customers for their money tactics that we see today.

    you will be missed rob. thank you for the good times.
  1. mmoce35ea8b457's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Srg56 View Post
    One should be careful when throwing around big words like that.
    Sexist? Or worrisome?
  1. Frozenbeef's Avatar
    Don't know who that is...seriously how do you people know so much about blizzard employees..do you stalk them or somthing? >.<
  1. bison91's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Gortar View Post
    I generally have no idea who this guy is but from the comments I am now concerned, wow doomed?
    u seen warcraft 3 epilogue when finished the game? then there is a thanks for playing the game and the first name that appears in who's making the game is rob pardo....
  1. Abstieg's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Frozenbeef View Post
    Don't know who that is...seriously how do you people know so much about blizzard employees..do you stalk them or somthing? >.<
    He's one of the biggest long-term names at Blizzard. How the hell is it surprising people know him?
  1. bison91's Avatar
    can be sad...maybe he wants to be some time with his family...after all he got much much money in these 17 years..coz he does not even know by him self where he wants to go now...

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Abstieg View Post
    He's one of the biggest long-term names at Blizzard. How the hell is it surprising people know him?
    coz they dont care who is taking care of them...
  1. MrExcelion's Avatar
    The way Rob phrases it, it sounds like he isn't going to work anywhere for a little while, which is probably the case with some sort of anti-competitive clause in his contract. We won't know for a bit, like with GC.
  1. mmoc4da90c0e34's Avatar
    I bet some slimy Jew is going to replace him.

    [infracted]
  1. Infernix's Avatar
    When you leave a job unexpectedly and don't have a back up plan, it's most likely because you've been fired. Heads, they are a-rolling at Blizzard. I guess that steady stream of lost subs is finally having an impact at the top.
  1. Kryos's Avatar
    Good - it's time to get new fresh and eager developers into the team anyway. Blizzard is getting too old. They need fresh ideas and people that are hungry to leave a mark.
  1. strax's Avatar
    Sure it has nothing to do with the Titan delay . . .
  1. Jokerfiend's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by OptimusDeadpool View Post
    I find it funny people screamed for years that Greg Street needed to be fired, he leaves to work at Riot and all of a sudden the "reason" in so many peoples minds for the "downfall" of WoW wasn't the reason, and he bailed cuz he didn't like the direction of things that so many people thought he was responsible for.

    How about Rob wants a fresh start somewhere else, professionals do that all the time. Same with Greg. Wish Rob all the best in his future endeavors.
    Not after 17 years you don't. In some design cores, you have factions of people. We all know it and see it at our jobs, in varying degrees. These people, especially at the top, pull the strings for direction in departments. Time will only tell if these factions make a positive impact at this level of design and development. You have in house fighting in all rungs of the ladder, is this fighting or is this new blood?

    Is this a push for new direction or is this a departure because of foreseen direction and he didn't agree?

    Time will tell.

    If Diablo 3 progress is any indication, then it's a new blood direction.

    Jay Wilson, Greg Street, now Rob Pardo. I think the faction head got cut off today.
  1. Sting's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Infernix View Post
    When you leave a job unexpectedly and don't have a back up plan, it's most likely because you've been fired. Heads, they are a-rolling at Blizzard. I guess that steady stream of lost subs is finally having an impact at the top.
    He's most likely signed an agreement that he can't work at a rivalling company until after a certain period of time has passed. I'm pretty sure he has his next job lined up already but can't tell because of legal consequences.
  1. Xayl1's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Jokerfiend View Post
    Absolutely true, which is why these changes are likely due to a creative designer hitting the door.

    This might be the thing that was going on at Blizzard. I mean 17 years, you don't leave a job after 17 years. You get fired from a job after 17 years. He was damn near retirement, and was damn near a colonial member.

    Sure, he might be crying on a bed of money and can retire anyways. But you don't throw his status and contributions away after that long.
    Tell that to John Carmack, Cliff Blezinsky, Roy Muzyka, Greg Zeschuck,Hironobu Sakaguchi,Keiji Inafune,,Shinji Mikami, and Hideki Kamiya. all industry veterans who walked away from thier long standing and famous development studios in order to pursue different ideas and oppurtunities than the studios they worked in were providing them.
  1. ErothTV's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Frozenbeef View Post
    Don't know who that is...seriously how do you people know so much about blizzard employees..do you stalk them or somthing? >.<
    Some of us, don't like Blizzard, but are passionate of it. Giving much love.

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