SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced the appointment
of Blizzard veteran and World of Warcraft® Executive Producer J.
Allen Brack as the new president of Blizzard Entertainment succeeding
Mike Morhaime, who will remain a strategic advisor to the company. The
company also announced the appointments of Chief Development Officer Ray
Gresko and Blizzard Founder Allen Adham to Blizzard’s executive
leadership team.
“J. has been with Blizzard for over 12 years leading the World of
Warcraft team, and it takes vision, creativity and unwavering
commitment to excellence to sustain a community of players the way J.
has for over a decade,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.
“J. is an inspiring leader. He has shown unwavering commitment to our
community, to innovation and creative excellence and he cares deeply
about ensuring the very best of Blizzard culture will be protected.”
“I am also excited to have Allen Adham, Blizzard’s founder, who rejoined
the company two years ago and Ray Gresko, Blizzard’s Chief Development
Officer, join Blizzard’s executive leadership team. I have known both
Allen and Ray for more than 25 years and they are two of the most
capable entrepreneurs in the game industry. They will help make certain
that inspiration and creativity remains the focus of Blizzard,” said
Kotick.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to serve as Blizzard’s next
president, and to lead one of the best entertainment companies in the
world, thanks to the passion and dedication of our player community and
employees,” said J. Allen Brack, president, Blizzard Entertainment.
“Blizzard was founded on the promise of making great games, and I plan
to continue this fierce commitment to quality, our community, and our
purpose. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s next given the strength
of our pipeline.”
“Thanks to Mike Morhaime’s wonderful stewardship and masterful job of
building a truly extraordinary team, epic games and a global community
of beloved players, Blizzard is one of the very best game companies in
the world,” Kotick added.
“I want to thank all of the talented and hardworking people at Blizzard
for their dedication, creativity and passion. It has been a privilege to
lead this team. I’m also very grateful to Blizzard‘s player community
for their support,” said Mike Morhaime.
About J. Allen Brack
J. Allen Brack is a seasoned game industry veteran bringing nearly 24
years’ experience to this new role. As president of Blizzard
Entertainment, Brack is dedicated to maintaining the high standard of
quality that has propelled Blizzard to become an internationally
recognized leader in interactive entertainment. Most recently, Brack
served as executive producer and senior vice president for World of
Warcraft, the #1 subscription-based MMORPG in the world. Throughout
his twelve years at Blizzard, World of Warcraft has captivated
millions of players worldwide and received a steady stream of
high-quality content updates, including multiple expansions that rank
among the fastest-selling PC games of all time. Prior to joining
Blizzard, Brack held multiple roles at Origin Systems, Inc., working on
the Wing Commander franchise, and then at Sony Online
Entertainment LLC working on Star Wars Galaxies.
About Ray Gresko
As chief development officer, Ray Gresko will oversee ongoing product
development efforts across Blizzard’s iconic franchises, to ensure that
the company delivers a consistent high-quality experience across its
games. Gresko, a 26-year industry veteran, most recently held the role
of executive producer for Overwatch, leading the development team
through the creation of a brand-new Blizzard franchise and helping
launch the game to critical acclaim. Gresko joined Blizzard in 2008 as
production director on Diablo III. Previously, Gresko worked on
multiple highly regarded LucasArts titles, co-founded and managed
Nihilistic Software, and was director of production and studio design
director for Stormfront Studios.
About Allen Adham
As executive producer, senior vice president, and founder of Blizzard
Entertainment, Allen Adham is responsible for supporting some of the
company’s initiatives around new product incubation. In this role, he
serves on Blizzard’s executive team and helps shepherd the company’s
vision for the future while setting goals and strategies that support
Blizzard’s dedication to creating the most epic entertainment
experiences ever. In February 1991, Allen co-founded Blizzard
Entertainment with Mike Morhaime and Frank Pearce, serving as the
company’s first president and later chairman. He provided executive
leadership on the company’s first games, helping to build the
industry-leading Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo
entertainment universes. This included overseeing the creation of World
of Warcraft and serving as the game’s lead designer from inception
through its first five years of development.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®,
Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®
franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com),
a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer
and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of
the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s
track record includes twenty-two #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year
awards. The company's online gaming service, Blizzard Battle.net®, is
one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and
reports from key distribution partners.
