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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. Moradim's Avatar
    abandon ship?
  1. Jokerfiend's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Infernix View Post
    That's not how executives see things. 'You' see a success because they haven't lost all their subs yet. They see a dismal failure because they've managed to go from an amazing 12mil subs at the end of Wrath to 7.5mil, and that's not including the inevitable losses that will be stated at the next quarterly report.

    No company can lose 50% of its main revenue base without people getting shit-canned and tossed out. GC just saw the writing on the wall and got out before the ax came down.
    It's called mutual termination. He didn't get fired(on paper), but in all intents and purposes he got terminated.
  1. Azrile's Avatar
    I just want to add about this whole Homophophic crap that is being said about him. Basically the only people who are saying that are people who want to turn games into the next ´battleground´ for sexual diversity and representation. They won´t be happy until every game is required to have gays or lesbians represented. All Rob Pardo said is that they ( Blizzard) just doesn´t look at game where you kill dragons as the right place to try to make social commentary... gameplay and fun is their focus.

    It is the same problem with a lot of places. I get it that for many people gay rights are a huge part of their life, and the most important thing they are working on. But you can´t go into every industry and then demand that industry have the same ´passion´ towards gay rights as you have. ´you know what, I support gay marriage... but we are just not going to make 5.4% of our NPCs openly gay because that is the proportion in the real world´. Sexual orientation isn´t really discussed in games. Think about how many NPCs there are in the game world... do we really need to know their private lives? Do we want Blizzard to add a line of text to every 20th quest to let us know that character is gay?
  1. Infernix's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Jokerfiend View Post
    It's called mutual termination. He didn't get fired(on paper), but in all intents and purposes he got terminated.
    Yeah, that. He got thrown out. I can't say that I blame them. Two failed expansions and a third lining up to be the worst of all? Yeah, I can believe he got fired.
  1. shamantime's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Infernix View Post
    That's not how executives see things. 'You' see a success because they haven't lost all their subs yet. They see a dismal failure because they've managed to go from an amazing 12mil subs at the end of Wrath to 7.5mil, and that's not including the inevitable losses that will be stated at the next quarterly report.

    No company can lose 50% of its main revenue base without people getting shit-canned and tossed out. GC just saw the writing on the wall and got out before the ax came down.
    Yea but video games as a whole has seen less and less players over the year. Is GC leaving before WoWs "imminent downfall" a fact that he left for that reason?
  1. mmoca01e16f76d's Avatar
    First Ghostclawler, now Pardo, seems like they abandon the ship because they know WoD is going to suck
  1. freighttrain's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Infernix View Post
    If he knew, he'd say. He doesn't know, so he doesn't say. How 'can' he say? He just got fired, I bet he's updating his resume as we speak.

    Maybe he should try and leave the last few years blank, though. Pretend like he was on a sabbatical or something. Wouldn't look good to have something like..."Oversaw the loss of 4.5 million subs in 4 years..."
    Or he wants to announce it after he starts instead of flooding his new place with calls, emails, and letters about it before he even gets there. I have made a few career changes with at least 8+ years in each and have told no one but my wife until i made the change.
  1. mmoce35ea8b457's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Pengalor View Post
    Then you have no idea what 'bigotry' actually means. However, I'm not going to derail the topic anymore than this so I will just leave you with the suggestion to look at a dictionary.
    Well misogynist and homophobic if you want to get all pedantic about semantics.
  1. Aeno's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Jokerfiend View Post
    Good reason or mutual reason?

    Like I said Time will tell. If he has another job we will know in a couple of months. A small precedence means little to me. When the standard is set as, you don't leave a job after 17 years for a "good" reason.
    You don't leave ANY job after you acquire tenure without a good reason.

    Quote Originally Posted by Protar View Post
    Well misogynist and homophobic if you want to get all pedantic about semantics.
    You forget misandry/misanthropy...unless you are sexist towards men?
  1. Stacie's Avatar
    Ship sinking fast heh lol.
  1. Littleraven's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Oholyknight View Post
    Rob Pardo has been credited on the following games:

    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
    Diablo II
    Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition
    StarCraft
    Diablo III


    This isn't just some guy leaving blizzard. This is pretty much like Miyamoto leaving Nintendo. I have no idea how Blizzard can recover from this. This is truly the end of the road.
    yeah because Disney TOTALLY ended after Walt died. get over yourself. hes just a man. no matter how much hes contributed over the years...to think that with him being gone the company is somehow going to just fall off the face of the planet is laughable. everything is a team effort. new blood will replace the old and new blood is something blizzard sorely needs.

    OT: sad to see him go. wish the best for him. thinking back to blizzcon now i almost feel like that speech he gave last year might have been an indication that he was leaving. it was pretty much a final thank you and good bye without being a good bye. makes more sense now lol
  1. Infernix's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by freighttrain View Post
    Or he wants to announce it after he starts instead of flooding his new place with calls, emails, and letters about it before he even gets there. I have made a few career changes with at least 8+ years in each and have told no one but my wife until i made the change.
    I guess we'll just see how long it takes him to land a new job somewhere. Maybe GC can use an assistant over there in Riot.
  1. Abstieg's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Infernix View Post
    Oh, they'll never publicly admit to his getting tossed out on his ass, but it is what it is. A public statement to that effect would have negative connotations in regards to the company as a whole and they're already on shaky enough ground as it is. They'll call it a 'mutual' agreement and amicable parting of ways, but let's get down to brass tacks: You don't quit a job of 17 years and have 'no idea' of what your'e doing next.

    He didn't quit. He got fired.

    That's my point. You CAN quit a job after 17 years and have no idea what you're going to do, especially if you're Rob Pardo.

    I'm sure. Mutual termination happens all the time. The company gives the person time to find another job to say he left without saying he was fired. Considering the success he had at Blizzard it was at least owed to him.

    I'm sure people know who he is in the business. It's Blizzard after all, but he hasn't had success outside of it. You don't try to find work after 17 years with a one trick pony, without it being mutual.

    Denial isn't going to help your stance.
    One trick pony? What the hell are you talking about? So you don't have a good resume unless you work at a bunch of different companies?
  1. freighttrain's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Infernix View Post
    I guess we'll just see how long it takes him to land a new job somewhere. Maybe GC can use an assistant over there in Riot.
    Regardless no one is irreplaceable.
  1. FishtheFish's Avatar
    Wow! I had no idea people aren't allowed to change jobs/retire/move on with their lives in peace?! Must be a sign of the apocalypse...le sigh
  1. freighttrain's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by FishtheFish View Post
    Wow! I had no idea people aren't allowed to change jobs/retire/move on with their lives in peace?! Must be a sign of the apocalypse...le sigh
    Welcome to the MMO-Champ hyperbole chamber.
  1. morislayer's Avatar
    17 years in the gaming industry. No one thinks he may be tired of Wow? I mean we all get our ups and downs and unsub, he has been subbed for 17 years, since WC2 essentially. He looks like he could be getting near his fifties. Maybe he doesn't want to work on a video game. Maybe he put the max in his 401k and said eff it, I retire to do my other dreams.

    Maybe he was pushed out. A disgusting byproduct of today's CEO's is growth must always happen, but I'm willing to bet he just didn't have it in the tank to do more WoW.
  1. Infernix's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Abstieg View Post
    That's my point. You CAN quit a job after 17 years and have no idea what you're going to do, especially if you're Rob Pardo.



    One trick pony? What the hell are you talking about? So you don't have a good resume unless you work at a bunch of different companies?
    When your last 17 years has been spent at one company and you're basically at the top of that company and that company has been losing its ass for the last 4 years, that's not exactly a winning resume when you finally get shit-canned.
  1. freighttrain's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Infernix View Post
    When your last 17 years has been spent at one company and you're basically at the top of that company and that company has been losing its ass for the last 4 years, that's not exactly a winning resume when you finally get shit-canned.
    Except it has not been losing its ass. Been losing subs yes but its still got incredible profits.
  1. edmorte's Avatar
    Free to play model incoming after WoD fiasco.

    SOON.

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