Blizzard is losing yet another veteran developer from the World of Warcraft team today: Tom “Kalgan” Chilton, who says he’s staying on with the company and “focusing on another project” but turning over the game director reins to Ion Hazzikostas.
“It’s with a mix of excitement, sadness, and gratitude that I’m saying farewell to the WoW team and moving on to a new adventure within Blizzard,” he told players on the forums today. “I know that WoW will be in great hands with Ion at the helm. He’s been an integral part of the team for more than eight years and has contributed to so many aspects of the game’s development—from class design to encounter design and nearly everything in between. He also has an amazing team at his side—the same epic crew that brought you all the content you’re enjoying in Legion. […] I can assure you that the future for World of Warcraft continues to be bright—and as a player, I’m excited to discover what’s in store next alongside all of you.”
Chilton most recently made headlines when Blizzard alleged that he was misquoted in a Polish gaming magazine, which attributed a post-Legion WoW sub count of 10.1 million people to him.
World of Warcraft has lost a number of high-profile developers since the launch of Legion, including Chris Metzen, Craig Amai, Tyson Murphy, and from Blizzard itself, James Waugh. Murphy went to Riot, Amai moved elsewhere within Blizzard, and don’t forget Rob Pardo’s new startup.
