Diablo IV Lead Systems Designer David Kim Joins World of Warcraft as Principal Game Designer

Posted 2020/11/02 at 8:58 PM by Archimtiros

Diablo IVpromoted to Principal Game DesignerLinkedIn accountDiablo IVStarcraft IIHeroes of the StormRhykkervideo on the topicprovided some insight on redditHeroes of the StormJoe PiepioraDiablo IVI cover this in the video I have going live tomorrow, but his replacement seems to be Joe Piepiora, who seems to have been promoted internally from within the team. This strikes me as a positive sign - they did not "fire" David Kim and try to bring in an outside hire to replace him. Speculation, but with the Shadowlands delay being announced around the same time as David Kim being moved over to WoW, seems as though WoW really needed the help and perhaps Kim had laid enough groundwork in D4 for others to take over for him to finish the job.Starcraft IIheartfelt farewellDiablo IVone of the top random playersStarCraft II

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Comment by LeobentoboxPrincipal*Comment by TakoyakiqtThis is huge.Comment by octnoirJust a reminder that by the time the public hears about a promotion, the person in question has probably been working or transitioning at that position for months, and its not even unheard of that someone actually does the job of that promotion for 6 months before being allowed to 'officially' showcase the title.

So people saying: "Oh now WoW is going to get fixed!" - David Kim has probably oversighted or provided feedback or changed things numerous times on the Shadowlands Alpha and Beta and probably approves of many of the upcoming things in Shadowlands.

So don't expect some overnight turn for WoW.Comment by BilciferneatComment by gankhillRemovedComment by RastakhanMixed feelings on this one.

Perhaps this guy is great at his job, and will provide something real to the WoW team.

However, WoW has already acquired too much from Diablo as it is.

Time will tell.Comment by shadewindGood luck, Mr. Kim.

"A principle is a rule, a law, a guideline, or a fact. A principal is the headmaster of a school or a person who's in charge of certain things in a company. Principal is also an adjective that means original, first, or most important." @gankComment by ApmacLet's make pvp great again boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiComment by DarkgideonIt looks like he was promoted in September based on his LinkedInComment by dewdsc2 dead, diablo 3 dead and now switching to wow. dude doesnt have a great track recordComment by StroggsDid he replace someone? Or is it a new job title?Comment by TwistedPhayteI think this is great for him! I'm excited to see what David Kim adds to the WoW family going forward!Comment by Ardensolis1He'll be responsible for whatever we get after Shadowlands, basically.Comment by soldojodk is a legend and this is awesome news for wow. IMOComment by Carnagefiendsc2 dead, diablo 3 dead and now switching to wow. dude doesnt have a great track recordComment by SolXDsc2 dead, diablo 3 dead and now switching to wow. dude doesnt have a great track recordComment by Sielinthsc2 dead, diablo 3 dead and now switching to wow. dude doesnt have a great track recordComment by addyminer7WoW started barreling downhill when they introduced elements of Diablo into it. Endless grind and power scaling(Artifact/Azerite power=Paragon); Massive gaps in gear power due to rng(Titanforging=Ancient/Primal). It's killing the RPG aspect and turning it into a lootbox simulator where you'll grind the same thing over and over, not for measurable progression towards an end or "win", but for a chance to be given power for repeating the same process while following a never ending road with candy on it. Smart business decision since the MMORPG genre is dying in favor of MOBAs, FPS, BRs, and other games with instant gratification that the younger generation is far more interested in. Bad for anyone wanting to play a MMORPG with good(boring) character progression design.Comment by DogmarxThis doesn't bode well.Comment by DremallThis is probably good news, but the impact on balance will not be felt outside of probably tier sets, and patch specific gimmicks until 10.0. Anyways wish the man the best of luck at his new post.

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