In the past 10 years, Blizzard has been in decline, and the people who once made it great left one by one. What drove them away from the company they loved, and where did they end up?
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📃 Research Links
Mike Ybarra leaves Blizzard
https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/25/24050402/microsoft-will-name-a-new-blizzard-president-next-week
Mike Morhaime leaves Blizzard
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-ceo-mike-morhaime-is-leaving-a-very-lucra/1100-6462261/
https://www.dreamhaven.com/
Frank Pearce leaves Blizzard
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/after-28-years-cofounder-frank-pearce-is-leaving-blizzard
Brian Birmingham leaves Blizzard
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/wow/t/brian-birmingham-leaves-blizzard-rip-classic/1496859
https://www.unleashedgames.io/
Jeff Kaplan leaves Blizzard
https://www.polygon.com/22394111/overwatch-jeff-kaplan-quits-blizzard-aaron-keller
Ben Brode leaves Blizzard
https://venturebeat.com/pc-gaming/hearthstone-boss-ben-brode-leaves-blizzard/
https://seconddinner.com/
Rob Pardo leaves Blizzard
https://www.polygon.com/2014/7/3/5868499/blizzard-rob-pardo-leaves-blizzard-entertainment
https://tracxn.com/d/companies/bonfire-studios/__6SwjV5zl1s2-nUdBHwAKzy5PCPAbrl3tN3pkKM3EJ5E
Wei Wang leaves Blizzard
https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/5owo8q/wei_wang_is_leaving_blizzard_his_work_was_really/
Scott Mercer leaves Blizzard
https://gameworldobserver.com/2023/06/19/scott-mercer-leaves-blizzard-26-years-wow-overwatch
Tim Morten and Tim Campbell leave Blizzard
https://www.forbes.com/sites/hnewman/2021/03/24/ex-blizzard-leaders-raise-97-million-to-create-new-real-time-strategy-game/
https://frostgiant.com/#about
Stormgate game
https://playstormgate.com/
Senior Blizzard staff celebrate 25 years at the company
https://blizzpro.com/2016/11/05/25-years-blizzard/
Activision-Blizzard subsidiaries
https://www.investopedia.com/5-companies-owned-by-atvi-5093046
Activision-Blizzard earnings call transcript
https://seekingalpha.com/article/104341-activision-blizzard-f2q09-qtr-end-9-30-08-earnings-call-transcript
Bobby Kotick strategy
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/11/activision-if-we-cant-run-a-game-into-the-ground-we-dont-want-it/
Activision-Blizzard as 5th largest company in gaming
https://www.alltopeverything.com/top-10-biggest-video-game-companies/
Bobby Kotick Wants to Take the Fun Out of Making Games
https://www.escapistmagazine.com/bobby-kotick-wants-to-take-the-fun-out-of-making-games/
Bobby Kotick leaves Blizzard
https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/13/23915559/activision-blizzard-ceo-steps-down-kotick-microsoft
Steve Jobs 1995 interview
https://youtu.be/P4VBqTViEx4?si=0Q2p5Q_uJhAo_K19
Ben Brode video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p45znaiYfhs
Jeff Kaplan meme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4aeV-29Hd8&t=13s&ab_channel=dinoflask
Microsoft Layoffs @YongYea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io4TPL4g_T8&t=55s&ab_channel=YongYea
Ben Brode leaves Blizzard @wowhobbs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_pyZWsfSmg&t=6s&pp=ygUdd293IGJlbiBicm9kZSBsZWF2ZXMgYmxpenphcmQ%3D