Following last week’s layoffs, it didn’t seem likely that the potentially frozen throne at the head of Blizzard Entertainment would remain vacant for long. As of today, Microsoft has announced Johanna Faries as the new president of the subdivision, with a full letter from Faries explaining that she looks forward to starting he new role with the company on February 5th while also expressing some brief sentiments about missing co-workers (a rather tepid reference to the layoffs in question).
Though my official first day with you all is February 5, I want to let you know immediately that it is an honor to join you next week in this new capacity. I do so humbly and in awe of all that Blizzard has stood for and delivered to the world for over thirty years. Today also brings some mixed emotions. The loss of talented teammates in recent days is hard to hold side-by-side with the immense excitement I feel about joining Blizzard – and building on the momentum you’ve created for Blizzard’s next chapter.
Faries herself was previously an executive with the NFL before joining the Call of Duty team as general manager, where she has worked for more than a decade. While this does make her a familiar face within Activision’s overall structure, it is worth noting that she does not have any history with Blizzard specifically, not that she claims otherwise in her introductory letter. It remains to be seen if her tenure will be more long-lasting and stable than those of her two immediate predecessors.
Hi all. Today I sent the below note to @Blizzard_Ent. As for X: I play to stay in "listen mode" here, but trust I'm tuned in! As for me: a typical day=work life+yogi life+games life. Currently on heavy rotation: D4, COD, BG3. Feeling blessed & grateful🙏🏽Onward. ✨ pic.twitter.com/Ph8XgsTcpk
— Johanna Faries (@Joh_Burg) January 29, 2024
