Yong Woo Leaves Blizzard - Joins Ben Brode at Second Dinner
Yong Woo, Hearthstone's Production Director, has left the company. He joins Ben Brode and Hamilton Chu at the new Second Dinner game studio.
Another two Hearthstone employees quit in recent time, Michael Schweitzer and Jomaro Kindred, who are also at the studio. There are now five ex-Hearthstone team members working at Second Dinner.
Quote from Yong WooAfter 9 epic years at Blizzard, I am embarking on a new adventure. Thank you for your love and support over the years. I'm super excited to join @seconddinner to build something new & amazing together!
Quote from Second DinnerThe team is growing! Say hi to our newest teammates!
@KindredConcepts@ywoo_dev@mfschweitzer
kibler is good at what blizzard produces...polished bags of $hit. The guy is a clown but he is a polished clown. I feel sorry for these dudes. Does anyone even play the bag of crap game kibler helped develop? YouTube lame....double bakers-dime-a-dozen.....
To be fair this isn't really Hearthstone news, but it's good to see this site hasn't forgot the people who made Hearthstone become a popular game.
Knew he'd leave, I also suspect Dean will leave at some point too.
this is just like the office when that guy leaves and the girl joins him lol
How does Blizzard / Activision not have some sort of non-compete clause in their contracts?
While I get that all of these people (including Ben) are replaceable, activity like this does create workplace stress/drama that takes away from people's focus. Furthermore, outsiders wonder what is amiss at Blizzard to make what they perceive as the core of the team leave.
They announce the studio, but not any games. They technically aren’t competing and won’t release details of what they’re doing until the non-compete agreement is over.
Also there might not be anything 'wrong' with Blizzard, as in there isn't a huge rift with the lead design team. Ben might have just wanted the freedom to work on his own project without answering to anyone. When he left he had loyalty of many of his team and they were happy at the opportunity to keep working for him.
I see this pattern a lot in the restaurant industry. A restaurant is doing very well and the Chef gets some press. He ultimately wants to start his own place so he breaks from the owners and many cooks and sous chefs will follow him.
Maybe something IS amiss at blizzard.
And no one actually competent would sign a contract that you suggested. You are basically suggesting that a person sign away his experience. For example if you are now working in software development, you are not allowed to ever open a software studio of your own. Or if you're flipping burgers, you're not allowed to ever open a burger joint.
Did you even think about what your are writing?
Yes, they are not allowed to use material they interacted with at their workplace. But not being allowed to use your work experience is the most absurd thing I've ever heard/read!
It's not about the non-compete; it's about the apparent headhunting of colleagues. It is industry-standard to include a clause specifically designed to prevent this sort of mass-exodus (the "brain drain" or "headhunting" clauses, as they are referred to). I say this as a dude who has worked in gaming for the last 8 years.
Time for Blizzard to let Jeff Kaplan do some announcements for Hearthstone too.
The game is the thing that matters, the cards, the art. Not some guy laughs.
agree, it s about game, not about presentation
Deleted.
So…looks like starting from next year Hearthstone is gonna be a shitshow. Time to find an alternative.
Maybe Young Woo took the decision to leave after witnessing the mad acting skills of Peter Whalen?
Kosak works in WOW and did it pretty well, he also is responsable for the Quest concept in Un'goro, Donais works on MTG and has pretty good taste for card desing, I have a lot of faith in both of that guys. I don't think that HS will perish with out the people that started it.
I guess that the second dinner is a reference to the game Ben Brondes team making. Second dinner referring to being the game you play after dinner, therefore, the second dinner.
But that's just a theory.
Glad to see Ben again and as happy as always. :D
Good luck Mr. Brode! :)
I started playing WoW again yesterday and had my main logged in my Garrison. First vendor I see to get rid of stuff is my bags happened to be Ben Brode selling the Hearthstone toy. :)
Woo! Woo! Woo!
I'm not cheering. I'm calling his name.
Oh man, I wonder what they're going to produce.
The entire dev team didn't leave, the HS team is way bigger than 5 individuals.
Everyone is replaceable.