Blizzard Entertainment has a new president, and it’s a former Activision executive.
Johanna Faries, who previously served as the head of Call of Duty esports for Activision, is taking over the role left behind by Mike Ybarra. Ybarra left Blizzard during the mass layoffs that occurred last week.
According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Faries emailed the company after being appointed president. In her email, Faries acknowledged the past conflict between Activision and Blizzard regarding the desire for Blizzard to be able to work on their projects how’d they prefer without the push to be more like Activision.
“It is important to note that Call of Duty’s way of waking up in the morning to deliver for players can often differ from the stunning games in Blizzard’s realm: each with different gameplay experiences, communities that surround them, and requisite models of success,” Faries said via Bloomberg. “I’ve discussed this with the Blizzard leadership team and I’m walking into this role with sensitivity to those dynamics, and deep respect for Blizzard, as we begin to explore taking our universes to even higher heights.”
Faries begins her role as president on February 5, and will hold a town hall meeting with employees shortly after.
For more Insider Gaming, read what Eidos-Montreal had to say about the layoffs at the studio.
