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A Message from Mike Morhaime
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Dear Members of the Blizzard Community,

When Blizzard’s founder Allen Adham first invited me to join him in creating Silicon & Synapse (our original name), nothing could have prepared me for the amazing adventure that we would share for the next 27 years. Our original mission and values consisted of four simple words that formed our foundation: “We make great games.” We crafted that statement before we had even released our first game, but we were committed to living up to it.

After many years of working with some of the industry’s most talented people to create games and worlds for you to play in, I’ve decided it’s time for someone else to lead Blizzard Entertainment. I will now serve as an advisor to the company I so love and admire. My duties as president of Blizzard will be assumed by my friend, colleague, trusted advisor, and longtime steward of World of Warcraft, J. Allen Brack.

J. is an inspiring leader who has shown unwavering commitment to Blizzard’s community in his 12 years with the company. His leadership on World of Warcraft leveraged his vision, creativity, and commitment to quality, and together with the rest of the dev team helped deliver an experience that is unprecedented in our industry. I couldn’t be happier for J. and know that Blizzard will continue to make great games with him at the helm.

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.

When we started Blizzard we just wanted to make great games. What we realized is that the games we create are really just a framework for communities and human interaction. When we look back, what we often find that’s most lasting and meaningful from our experiences in games are the relationships we create and foster. You have given me the inspiration and drive to pour my heart and life into what I do. I literally couldn’t have done any of it without you. We have created these worlds, but you have given them life, through your passion, fan art, cosplay, videos, and in so many other ways.

I truly believe that this amazing community has the potential to be a shining light to the rest of the industry by setting a positive example of inclusivity, tolerance, and acceptance toward others. In the words of one of Blizzard’s core values: remember to always play nice; play fair. I know this community is capable of changing the world.

It has been an honor to serve this community for over 27 years, and I thank you for your many years of support. I look forward to being a member of the community alongside you. See you on Battle.net!

Your fellow Blizzard gamer,
Mike Morhaime

A Message from J. Allen Brack
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard community,

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 do that, I’ll have the help of dedicated and talented Blizzard employees around the world who all share the same mission we have always pursued—to connect and engage the world through the most epic entertainment experiences, ever. Each of us is influenced by Blizzard’s values and a player-first mindset, which serve as the foundation of our company. With these beliefs at the core of everything we do, we’ve been able to deliver great games across different genres and platforms. And there is more to come—we’re working on more games now than at any point in Blizzard’s history.

As I transition from leading a development team to the entire company, I’ll also have the support of our team of experienced leaders at Blizzard. I’m pleased to announce two additions to our executive leadership team who will be instrumental as we move forward. Ray Gresko, a 10-year veteran of Blizzard who helped create both Overwatch and Diablo III, is now our chief development officer. Allen Adham, Blizzard’s original founder and lead designer of World of Warcraft, will join the executive team while continuing to oversee development of several new games. The knowledge and experience that Ray and Allen bring, in addition to the talent already on the leadership team, will be indispensable in helping move Blizzard into the future.

One thing that won’t change going forward—our deeply held commitments that are core to who we are as a company: to gameplay first, to quality in everything we do, and to listening to and partnering with our community. BlizzCon, the IRL representation of our connection with the community, is just a month away and it’s a time of the year that Blizzard employees look forward to the most. And as usual, we have a few surprises.

I want to close by thanking Mike for 27 years of amazing work: I am looking forward to your wisdom and guidance in your new role. And thank you for everything you’ve done to help create the company and the games we love.

J. Allen Brack

Blizzard Names World of Warcraft Executive Producer J. Allen Brack As New President of Blizzard Entertainment
Mike Morhaime is remaining as an advisor to the company.
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced the appointment of Blizzard veteran and World of Warcraft® Executive Producer J. Allen Brack as the new president of Blizzard Entertainment succeeding Mike Morhaime, who will remain a strategic advisor to the company. The company also announced the appointments of Chief Development Officer Ray Gresko and Blizzard Founder Allen Adham to Blizzard’s executive leadership team.

“J. has been with Blizzard for over 12 years leading the World of Warcraft team, and it takes vision, creativity and unwavering commitment to excellence to sustain a community of players the way J. has for over a decade,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. “J. is an inspiring leader. He has shown unwavering commitment to our community, to innovation and creative excellence and he cares deeply about ensuring the very best of Blizzard culture will be protected.”

“I am also excited to have Allen Adham, Blizzard’s founder, who rejoined the company two years ago and Ray Gresko, Blizzard’s Chief Development Officer, join Blizzard’s executive leadership team. I have known both Allen and Ray for more than 25 years and they are two of the most capable entrepreneurs in the game industry. They will help make certain that inspiration and creativity remains the focus of Blizzard,” said Kotick.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to serve as Blizzard’s next president, and to lead one of the best entertainment companies in the world, thanks to the passion and dedication of our player community and employees,” said J. Allen Brack, president, Blizzard Entertainment. “Blizzard was founded on the promise of making great games, and I plan to continue this fierce commitment to quality, our community, and our purpose. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s next given the strength of our pipeline.”

“Thanks to Mike Morhaime’s wonderful stewardship and masterful job of building a truly extraordinary team, epic games and a global community of beloved players, Blizzard is one of the very best game companies in the world,” Kotick added.

“I want to thank all of the talented and hardworking people at Blizzard for their dedication, creativity and passion. It has been a privilege to lead this team. I’m also very grateful to Blizzard‘s player community for their support,” said Mike Morhaime.

About J. Allen Brack
J. Allen Brack is a seasoned game industry veteran bringing nearly 24 years’ experience to this new role. As president of Blizzard Entertainment, Brack is dedicated to maintaining the high standard of quality that has propelled Blizzard to become an internationally recognized leader in interactive entertainment. Most recently, Brack served as executive producer and senior vice president for World of Warcraft, the #1 subscription-based MMORPG in the world. Throughout his twelve years at Blizzard, World of Warcraft has captivated millions of players worldwide and received a steady stream of high-quality content updates, including multiple expansions that rank among the fastest-selling PC games of all time. Prior to joining Blizzard, Brack held multiple roles at Origin Systems, Inc., working on the Wing Commander franchise, and then at Sony Online Entertainment LLC working on Star Wars Galaxies.

About Ray Gresko
As chief development officer, Ray Gresko will oversee ongoing product development efforts across Blizzard’s iconic franchises, to ensure that the company delivers a consistent high-quality experience across its games. Gresko, a 26-year industry veteran, most recently held the role of executive producer for Overwatch, leading the development team through the creation of a brand-new Blizzard franchise and helping launch the game to critical acclaim. Gresko joined Blizzard in 2008 as production director on Diablo III. Previously, Gresko worked on multiple highly regarded LucasArts titles, co-founded and managed Nihilistic Software, and was director of production and studio design director for Stormfront Studios.

About Allen Adham
As executive producer, senior vice president, and founder of Blizzard Entertainment, Allen Adham is responsible for supporting some of the company’s initiatives around new product incubation. In this role, he serves on Blizzard’s executive team and helps shepherd the company’s vision for the future while setting goals and strategies that support Blizzard’s dedication to creating the most epic entertainment experiences ever. In February 1991, Allen co-founded Blizzard Entertainment with Mike Morhaime and Frank Pearce, serving as the company’s first president and later chairman. He provided executive leadership on the company’s first games, helping to build the industry-leading Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo entertainment universes. This included overseeing the creation of World of Warcraft and serving as the game’s lead designer from inception through its first five years of development.
This article was originally published in forum thread: WoW Executive Producer J. Allen Brack is the New President of Blizzard Entertainment started by chaud View original post
Comments 212 Comments
  1. prwraith's Avatar
    Man, you always joke about bad decisions made around the office. But you have to wonder what these people are thinking
  1. mmocfce39d790f's Avatar
    Pleeeeeeease fucking let J tell the WoW dev team to get their shit together. I fucking BEG you!

    This ain't gonna touch Classic, folks don't need to worry about that.
  1. Chaosweaver's Avatar
    That comment was made years ago, he won't sabotage Vanilla stop being ridiculous.
  1. Mafic's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kanegasi View Post
    I'm a pretty optimistic person. With him no longer being the Production Director and now in a figurehead position, it's possible things are changing for the good. As they say in my line of work, "fuck up move up".

    Yup.

    I can see why some people react negatively but I think this will end up a net positive move overall!
  1. Dug's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Donnicton View Post
    Hey, if Konami can do it...
    Too soon
  1. Whatever Dude's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Aeluron Lightsong View Post
    Not my fault that you guys keep overanalyzing something like this that won't have any big repercussions several months/years later. I was being honest, MMO-Champion is annoying this time of year.
    Cool strawman. Any other garbage you wanna throw at me?
  1. leviathonlx's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by SimmerRift View Post
    Pleeeeeeease fucking let J tell the WoW dev team to get their shit together. I fucking BEG you!

    This ain't gonna touch Classic, folks don't need to worry about that.
    You do realize Brack was the lead for WoW above Ion right?
  1. wiljijel's Avatar
    Can we get warcraft 4 now?
  1. Razorice's Avatar
    Okay guys, please answer me this: How fucked are we?
  1. Tisane's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Razorice View Post
    Okay guys, please answer me this: How fucked are we?
    Abandon ship!
  1. RoKPaNda's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by kevincuomo View Post
    Well the game is in the worst spot its ever been. Fire Ion, remove Azerite and maybe it can be salvaged.
    Yeah... Fire the best game director this game has ever had by far because you don't like Azerite. Nice one. And no, it's not in the worst spot it's ever been. Cata and WoD were far worse.
  1. Every Pwny's Avatar
    You think you want a new president, but you don't.
  1. Mafic's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by SimmerRift View Post
    Pleeeeeeease fucking let J tell the WoW dev team to get their shit together. I fucking BEG you!

    This ain't gonna touch Classic, folks don't need to worry about that.
    That would be awesome!

    Boss around the hamsters to grind the midnight oil to make WoW great again while he is at it and that would be an early Christmas gift for me!
  1. HumbleDuck's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Razorice View Post
    Okay guys, please answer me this: How fucked are we?
    Not fucked at all.
  1. Mafic's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by RoKPaNda View Post
    Yeah... Fire the best game director this game has ever had by far because you don't like Azerite. Nice one. And no, it's not in the worst spot it's ever been. Cata and WoD were far worse.
    LMAO. Not even close.

    Ion is going to go down as the worst. That is basically a forgone conclusion now that he doesn't have Brack/Chilton to carry the load for him.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Razorice View Post
    Okay guys, please answer me this: How fucked are we?
    Good news for WoW!

    He will put Ion in his place along with Holinka!
  1. Varitok's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by RoKPaNda View Post
    Yeah... Fire the best game director this game has ever had by far because you don't like Azerite. Nice one. And no, it's not in the worst spot it's ever been. Cata and WoD were far worse.
    Man, you must be on multiple levels of illicit drugs to think Ion is a good dev let alone the best.
  1. Uselessrouge's Avatar
    its not like it could get worse... or could it? :P
  1. The Stormbringer's Avatar
    A few surprises, huh...? I wonder.
  1. Mafic's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Uselessrouge View Post
    its not like it could get worse... or could it? :P
    True, but with Brack in charge I think sunny days are ahead for WoW. yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  1. Alja's Avatar
    I have such mixed feelings about this. Not so much about Brack taking over but just that it's going to be super weird that Morhaime won't be the president of the company anymore. Granted the guy has been at it awhile, perhaps it's time for him to retire and do some swimming in his Scrooge McDuck money vault.

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