Co-Founder of Blizzard Michael Morhaime Leaves Company

It was recently announced that Co-Founder and President of Blizzard Entertainment, Michael Morhaime, is stepping down and leaving the company. If you’re unfamiliar with the name, this is the man who spearheaded countless hours of entertainment for hundreds of thousands of gamers with titles like World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Overwatch. Morhaime will be replaced as acting president by J. Allen Brack, whom was Morhaime’s right-hand man in all aspects of prior titles and expansions.

Fans and Blizzard Entertainment workers alike were deeply saddened by the news, but Morhaime’s absence is noted with fond farewells. In a letter to the Blizzard community, Morhaime had this to say:

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’s undeniable that fans, as well as those at Blizzard, are losing a prominent figure in games development whose work will continue to inspire future games to come. In regards to Morhaime’s absence, acting-president Brack said the following:

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.

Despite Blizzard Entertainment losing an inspirational leader, it also appears to be in fairly good hands. How do you guys feel about Morhaime stepping down? Let us know in the comments.

[Source: Blizzard]