Johanna Faries, who previously managed the Call of Duty brand, will take over the reins of the corporation after the departure of former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra. She was previously associated with Activision and the Call of Duty brand, representing a completely different policy from both companies. Former Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick, once urged the creators of World of Warcraft to maintain greater regularity in releasing their productions (similar to Call of Duty, which is released annually).
Faries confirmed the differences between Activision and Blizzard in her first official statement. Here’s what she said: “It’s important to remember that the way Call of Duty delivers something to players often differs from the stunning games of the Blizzard world: they differ in the gaming experiences, their surrounding communities, and the pattern of success. I have discussed this with the Blizzard leadership team and I assume a position sensitive to this dynamic, with deep respect for Blizzard, with whom we are exploring how to elevate our universes to an even higher level.”
It’s worth mentioning that before starting her journey with Activision, Faries was associated with the National Football League (NFL) for 12 years. The new head of Blizzard can thus boast a rather unusual career path.