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Blizzard in 2022 is a widely different company than the one so many became fans of in the 90s and 2000s, partly because it’s now owned by Activision, but mostly because it was so long ago and most of the people who made the games you love are they went!
Well, except one. Chris Metzen, a key figure in the rise of Blizzard in that time period and a man with a wild resumption of work for the study (he was a longtime artist, writer, designer, creative director, and even voice actor Devil, Spaceship, Warcraft, Oh And Overwatch), has just announced his return, six years after his departure.
As we reported in its timeMetzen left during a tumultuous time for not just studying, due to the cancellation of Titan and the release of Overwatch— but also in his personal life, having just become a father and having serious health problems:
After TitanMetzen fell out with the Overwatch project. It was, in his words, “one last charge at the wall”. He helped lift morale and carry the game through to completion. And it’s a damn excellent game.
In the process, however, Metzen suffered from constant anxiety. While filming with his wife, he experienced what he later discovered were panic attacks. She felt like his lungs would stop, but when she consulted the doctors, there was nothing wrong with him. It was early 2016 and with the imminent release of World of Warcraft‘S Legion, Overwatchhis animated shorts, Blizzard movies and, even, a newborn, Metzen was crushed by the pressure to do it all.
“I need a change in my life,” Metzen said.
Blizzard announced its return this morning:
CITIZENS OF AZEROTH,
It is with great joy that I announce that CHRIS METZEN has joined the Warcraft Leadership Team as a Creative Advisor. Chris’s focus will initially be on World of Warcraft, then his work will expand to other projects in this growing franchise.
Chris was one of the original team members working on the W Warcraft universe when it began in 1994, and we are so happy to reunite him with the world he helped create.
John High
General Manager, Warcraft
That job title, “creative consultant,” could mean anything, but Hight’s addition of “his work will expand to other projects in this growing franchise” suggests it’s just a way to get him back into the studio before he leaves. free on other things. .
You can, and you really should, check out the complete list of Metzen’s contributions to Blizzard games over the years for a more complete understanding of why fans are so happy with this news.
