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The president of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Ybarra, has announced that he’s departing the company today (January 25).
In a statement posted to Twitter / X, Ybarra said that his role leading the company and being part of its team had been “an absolute honor” and that “it’s time for me to (once again) become Blizzard’s biggest fan from the outside.” This announcement comes alongside the news that Microsoft is laying off around 1,900 members of staff from across the Xbox, Activision Blizzard and ZeniMax teams.
Referring to the layoffs, Ybarra said: “I want to thank everyone who is impacted today for their meaningful contributions to their teams, to Blizzard, and to players’ lives. It’s an incredibly hard day and my energy and support will be focused on all those amazing individuals impacted – this is in no way a reflection on your amazing work. If there’s anything I can help with, connections, recommendations, etc., DM me.”
He also shared his thanks to “the incredible teams at Blizzard,” and noted: “Words can’t express how I feel about all of you. You are amazing. Continue to do incredible things and always keep Blizzard blue and the player at the forefront of every decision.”
Wrapping things up, he added: “To all of those impacted today - I am always available to you and understand how challenging today’s news is. My heart is with each one of you.”
It's worth noting that as per an internal memo written by Microsoft Studios Matt Booty (which TechRadar Gaming has confirmed to be authentic), it was stated that Ybarra decided to leave the company. Also leaving the company is Blizzard Entertainment co-founder and chief design officer Allen Adham.
According to Booty, the next Blizzard Entertainment president will be decided next week.
Looking for more fantastic game recommendations? Look no further than our roundups of the best Xbox Series X games, as well as the best PC games.