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Video-game developer Blizzard Entertainment has appointed Johanna Faries as its next president, the first new leader of the studio since Microsoft Corp. purchased its parent company Activision Blizzard Inc. for $69 billion.
Faries, previously general manager for the Call of Duty franchise at Activision, will succeed Mike Ybarra, who left the company last week amid mass layoffs. Faries started at Activision in 2018 as head of Call of Duty esports. She previously spent nearly 12 years working at the National Football League.
The appointment of an Activision executive as Blizzard’s chief may come as a surprise to many employees. Before the acquisition, the maker of World of Warcraft had faced significant tensions with Activision executives over the length of time it took to develop games, among other issues. Former Activision Chief Executive Officer Bobby Kotick had pushed Blizzard to be more predictable, in the mode of the Call of Duty franchise, which releases a new version of the series every fall.
Faries appeared to acknowledge this conflict in a note to staff Monday, writing that “Activision, Blizzard, and King are decidedly different companies with distinct games, cultures, and communities.”
“It is important to note that Call of Duty’s way of waking up in the morning to deliver for players can often differ from the stunning games in Blizzard’s realm: each with different gameplay experiences, communities that surround them, and requisite models of success,” Faries wrote. “I’ve discussed this with the Blizzard leadership team and I’m walking into this role with sensitivity to those dynamics, and deep respect for Blizzard, as we begin to explore taking our universes to even higher heights.”
Blizzard’s New President Johanna Faries Is a Former ‘Call of Duty,’ NFL Executive
Replaces Mike Ybarra who left the video-game company last week as part of mass layoffs under new owner Microsoft
www.bloomberg.com
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