Ben Brode Announces He's Leaving Blizzard After 15 Years

The face of Hearthstone is leaving Blizzard. In a lengthy note on the Hearthstone forums, Brode bids Blizzard goodbye after today and after 15 years with the company, 10 with Hearthstone alone. He does not indicate what his future plans are beyond "to start a new company" that will "probably make games, but we haven't figured anything else out yet". He goes into great detail to thank his team and the community for all the years they've had together.

There is no team like the Hearthstone team. People have come and gone over the 10 years Hearthstone has been in development, but there’s something special about the Soul of the Team. We knew our most important product wasn’t the game, but the team itself. A great team can do great things, and I think the Hearthstone team is the greatest. It isn’t just a job. It’s a shared passion. We get to come to work and focus on the game we love and try to make it better every day.

And to the passionate community of players – I will miss you, and the laughs we shared together. Thank you for making being a part of Hearthstone so much fun for me. I’ve loved every minute.

Read the full letter on the Hearthstone forum.