Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime steps down from studio presidency

Blizzard Entertainment’s longtime president and original co-founder Mike Morhaime has stepped down from his senior role, being replaced by former executive producer and vice president for World of Warcraft, J Allen Brack.

In a statement, Morhaime said: “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.”

He continued: “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.”

“Each of us is influenced by Blizzard’s values and a player-first mindset, which serve as the foundation of our company,” Brack said, “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.”

Additionally Ray Gresko, who had a hand in the creation of both Diablo III and Overwatch, has been promoted to chief development officer, and Allen Adham, another Blizzard co-founder and lead designer of WoW, is set to join the executive team.