Rob Pardo, Chief Creative Officer at Blizzard Entertainment and a lead designers on World of Warcraft, took to Battle.net to announce his retirement today.
“After 17 years at Blizzard, with long and careful contemplation, I have made a difficult and bittersweet but ultimately exciting decision to pursue the next chapter in my life and career,” Pardo wrote.
“I’m looking forward to new challenges in my career, but I will always cherish the time I spent with you all and the amazing and collaborative teams at Blizzard. It was both satisfying and humbling, and it made me a better developer and a better person. I look forward to playing Blizzard games as a player for many years to come. Most important, now I have plenty of time to learn how to build a competitive Hearthstone deck.
“As to what I will be doing next, I don’t have an answer for you yet . . . but I will ‘when it’s ready.’ My priorities are to enjoy the summer with my family, play plenty of games, and think about what’s next. The game industry is such an exciting place right now with PC gaming thriving, the new consoles, mobile games, and virtual reality becoming an actual reality. It’s like having an empty quest log and going into a new zone for the first time.”
Pardo was working on World of Warcraft‘s upcoming “Warlords of Draenor” expansion.
Blizzard has yet to announce a replacement for Pardo.
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
