Warcraft’s general manager has left Blizzard after 12 years

Warcraft franchise general manager and SVP John Hight has revealed that he’s resigning from Blizzard after more than a decade with the company.

Hight, who has overseen all game development and operations for World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft Rumble, and Warcraft RTS games for the past three years, said on X that he was leaving the studio in search of something new.

“After 12 incredible years at Blizzard, I’ve decided to step away and start a new quest,” he wrote. “It was a tough decision, but I feel like now is as good a time as any – Warcraft is in an amazing position as the universe turns 30.

“I’ve been so honored to serve all of the heroes of Azeroth. You are the most passionate, dedicated, and creative community in gaming. “You are why I’ve poured my heart and soul into creating the best games possible. You have inspired me, challenged me, and made me a stronger developer.

“I also want to share my immense gratitude and confidence in the teams & leaders supporting all the games across the Warcraft universe. I know you’ll take WoW, Hearthstone, and Rumble to new heights, and I can’t wait to experience your vision alongside other players.”

Hight joined Blizzard in November 2011, when he became executive producer and vice president of World of Warcraft, while also directing production of the console version of Diablo 3.

In the 1990s Hight worked as a creative director at the 3DO Company, before moving to Electronic Arts where he was an executive producer on numerous Westwood Studio games.

After a three-year stint at Atari and a year as a board member at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Hight joined Sony Santa Monica as a director of product development, where he worked on God of War 3 and the launch of the PlayStation Network.

In his Blizzard leaving message, Hight didn’t share where he was going next, but confirmed it would still be related to video games.

Further reading

World of Warcraft: The War Within launches in August

Beta testing for the expansion kicked off this week

“As for what’s next in my journey, I don’t have any specifics to share quite yet, but I am excited to explore new opportunities and challenges in the industry, and to continue making great games with talented people,” he wrote.

“Thank you again for making these years so unforgettable, and I’ll still see you in Azeroth – now, as purely a player.”