A veteran Activision executive is stepping over the great divide to assume leadership.
Microsoft did not have to exert a great deal of effort in order to locate the new head of Blizzard. Johanna Faries, a former general manager of Call of Duty, has taken up the post that Mike Ybarra previously held. Ybarra resigned from his position in the wake of widespread layoffs that occurred in Microsoft’s games division last week. According to reports, Blizzard was hit particularly hard by Microsoft’s decision to lay off approximately 1,900 employees.
Within the year 2018, Faries, who had previously worked as an executive for the National Football League, became the president of Call of Duty esports for Activision. Since 2021, she has been in charge of coordinating everything related to Call of Duty, and she will formally begin her new post on February 5th.
In the years following its merger with Activision in 2008, Blizzard has, for the most part, functioned independently. The employees of Blizzard may be forgiven for their concerns around the possibility of someone from the Activision side seizing control of the company. According to reports, former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick frequently interfered in the business activities of Blizzard, which contributed to delays in the release of Overwatch 2, among other things.
Faries wrote in an email to the team that “Activision, Blizzard, and King are decidedly different companies with distinct games, cultures, and communities.” This was done in an effort to allay any concerns that may have been there previously. In the domain of Blizzard Entertainment, there are a number of gorgeous games, each of which has a unique gameplay experience, communities that surround them, and needed models of success. It is vital to note that the way in which Call of Duty wakes up in the morning to deliver for players can frequently be different from the other games in this industry. As we begin to examine the possibility of bringing our universes to even greater heights, I have had this conversation with the leadership team at Blizzard, and I am entering this role with a tremendous amount of respect for the company as well as sensitivity to the dynamics that are at play.
Faries went on to say that she is “committed to doing everything I can to help Blizzard thrive, with care and consideration for you and for our games, each of which is unique and special in its own right.” In the meantime, Faries stated on X that she was now playing Diablo 4 by Blizzard, along with Call of Duty and Baldur’s Gate 3, as part of her rotation of games.