There’s a changing of the guard over at Blizzard HQ. Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime, who has been a part of the game developer and publisher for over 27 years, is officially stepping down from his position and entering a new advisory role.
The announcement was made on Blizzard’s central site, with some parting words from Mr. Morhaime and confirmation that his duties will be turned over to World of Warcraft’s J. Allen Brack. The announcement also features some words from Brack as he humbly takes his spot in the big chair.
“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,” reads Morhaime’s farewell. “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.”
“To be chosen to lead Blizzard into the future is both a huge honor, and a tremendous responsibility,” reads Brack’s statement. “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.”
On the subject of Blizzard employees, the company announced that it will be removing the Blizzard Holiday Plan, an end-of-year bonus program that would have seen Morhaime earn over $360k additionally. Instead, participating employees in this bonus program will see their salaries adjusted to reflect the amount this bonus would normally provide. Additionally, a “Morhaime Profit Sharing Plan” is in place that will grant Morhaime a bonus based on Blizzard’s overall profits.
Our Thoughts
So fiscally speaking, Mike will be just fine. Moving away from that, we’d like to thank Mr. Morhaime for his leadership of Blizzard and his hand in seeing the studio’s games come to life. We also would like to congratulate Mr. Brack on his promotion and look forward to seeing where the company goes from here.
Sources: Blizzard website, Gamespot
Related: Blizzard Entertainment, Games Industry, Gaming, MMO, MMORPG, NewsRelated: Activision Blizzard
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