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  1. #1

    WoW Executive Producer J. Allen Brack is the New President of Blizzard Entertainment

    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.

  2. #2
    Begin forming a prayer circle immediately, please.

  3. #3
    Deleted
    You think you wanna be president, but you don't.

  4. #4
    You think you do, but you don't.

  5. #5
    old dog gets a new position, grats I guess....

    Nothing will change. Yes men stay in power. Creative talent gets left behind

  6. #6
    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

    Good news is that Brack can do more as President of Blizzard. Bad news is that Ion "I had too many drinks in Vegas with Holinka" Hazikostas is clearly in charge now of WoW.

    Congrats to Brack but it is a big blow to the WoW franchise but a big gain for Blizzard overall!

  7. #7
    Deleted
    nothing will probably change

  8. #8
    Holy shit.

    Also yay for Adham being back!

  9. #9
    Brewmaster CasualFilth's Avatar
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    Has me clutching my pearls.

  10. #10
    I hope Morhaime still does the Blizzcon opening. I love that guy and look forward to it every year.

  11. #11
    Epic! HordeFanboy's Avatar
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    This makes no sense at all

  12. #12
    I guess the good part about this is that J Allen Brack knows more about & cares more about WoW than Mike Morhaime ever did. Hopefully he takes things in a different direction, but Im not gonna get my hopes up.

  13. #13
    Deleted
    Odd how one of the most polarizing figures in Blizzard, renown for treating the community in a notoriously arrogant and condescending manner, gets to be the top dog. What could possibly go wrong?

  14. #14
    Reforged Gone Wrong The Stormbringer's Avatar
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    So is Mike still gonna be around?

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  16. #16
    Old God Mirishka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rigodolfa View Post
    Odd how one of the most polarizing figures in Blizzard, renown for treating the community in a notoriously arrogant and condescending manner, gets to be the top dog. What could possibly go wrong?
    Because the community is always fair and reasonable to them, right?
    Appreciate your time with friends and family while they're here. Don't wait until they're gone to tell them what they mean to you.

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  18. #18
    This allows them to get away with a few major changes like Cancelling Classic for example.

  19. #19
    Over 9000! Kithelle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mafic View Post
    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

    Good news is that Brack can do more as President of Blizzard. Bad news is that Ion "I had too many drinks in Vegas with Holinka" Hazikostas is clearly in charge now of WoW.

    Congrats to Brack but it is a big blow to the WoW franchise but a big gain for Blizzard overall!
    Head of Trolling at Blizzard is in charge of WoW...if that this does happen I can't see good things.

  20. #20
    I know people are gonna hate on him and shit but tbh, he's deserved it. Grats to J. ''think you do, but you don't'' Brack. jk
    We humans have to stick together

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