Summary
Senior vice president and general manager of theWarcraftfranchise John Hight just announced his departure from Blizzard after 12 years. Though he has yet to announce where his next journey will take him, the formerWarcraftexecutive is not leaving the game development industry quite yet.
Hight is a long-term Blizzard executive who is known for his even-tempered optimism and introspective sincerity. During his career at Blizzard, he worked on some of thebest and worst expansions inWorld of Warcraft, eventually leading it to claw back in a big way duringDragonflight.
Now, Hight is leaving Blizzard for a new part of his game development journey. In a heartfelt thread on Twitter, Hight announced his decision, thanking the community for inspiring and challenging him to be a better developer. He believes theWarcraftfranchise is in good hands, and said he was excited to experiencewhat’s next forWarcraft Rumble,Hearthstone, andWoWitself alongside his fellow players.
John Hight’s 12-Year Legacy With Warcraft and Blizzard
Before coming to Blizzard in 2011, Hight was a board member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, taught game dev courses at the USC School of Cinematics, and developed dozens of games, includingGod of War 3,Command and Conquer, andNeverwinter Nights. At Blizzard, he worked as a senior producer forMists of Pandaria, the production director forDiablo 3: Reaper of Souls,Legion, andBattle for Azeroth, and then as vice president andexecutive producer ofWorld of Warcraft. In 2021, he rose to his final position as head of the entireWarcraftfranchise.
The outpouring of support and affection from Hight’s former colleagues, as well as both content creators and fans, showed just how much respect the community has for him. Within the first hours of Hight’s announcement, he received over 100 comments wishing him the best on his next journey. Hight hasn’t said what is in store for him next, but he did confirm he will still be making games, so fans of his work should keep an eye out to see where he goes next.
