Ben Brode Leaves Blizzard Entertainment
Ben Brode has posted a very important announcement this afternoon. After working at Blizzard for 15 years and developing Hearthstone for almost 10, he has decided to leave the company.
Thank you, Ben, for all the communication you've given the community over the years, the laughs, and most importantly, this game.
Quote from Ben BrodeTo my friends, coworkers, and the Hearthstone community,
After 15 years at Blizzard and almost 10 years working on Hearthstone, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to embark on a new journey.
Man, that was a hard sentence to type.
I was 20 years old when I started here. My first role was ‘Night Crew Game Tester.’
Since then, Blizzard has been good to me. I got to cast esports events, announce BlizzCons, play in Rock Bands, write raps, and work with incredible people. But the biggest opportunity came in 2008 when I joined “Team 5.” The Hearthstone Team.
I am very proud of Hearthstone. I think we made an impact on the industry. People tell me that Hearthstone brought their family closer together, or that they became close friends with people they met at a Fireside Gathering. Others tell me they were inspired by Hearthstone to become game developers themselves. It’s incredible to be a part of something that touches so many people.
But as proud as I am of Hearthstone, I am even more proud of the team.
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.
We frequently check the Hearthstone subreddit looking for opportunities to improve the game. I have loved the silly memes, engaging in spirited debates, or even just being held accountable to our shared high standards for the game. We try to be highly available on social media, and I think our team helped push the envelope in this regard. It has been especially satisfying to me to see the team step up over the last few years and help engage in these ways as I became more focused on direction and less on actual design.
I get too much credit by virtue of being a public face, but the 80+ people on the development team are still there, and they are the ones actually making the cards, brawls, events, missions, and features. I am confident the game is in the best possible hands, and I’m excited to see where a new generation of leaders takes Hearthstone from here.
I am very fortunate to be able to take a crazy risk right now in my life, and I’m excited to be scrappy and a little scared. I’m going to help start a new company. We’ll probably make games, but we haven’t figured anything else out, yet. I’m looking forward to designing, programming, and actually creating things again. I’m going to miss the on-campus Starbucks, though. Dang.
Blizzard, thank you for taking a chance on me, and thank you for taking a chance on Hearthstone. I can’t wait to see what you do next.
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.
Sincerely,
Ben Brode
Where do I apply for position at new company?!
Funny person but terrible game designer.
The game is played by millions of people, so it can't be that horribly designed.
Can't actually describe my feelings, Hearthstone would never be the same after this, thank you for all the work you've done. You'll be hardly missed by every member of Hearthstone community. Fire Patches from all the cannons in honor of you our Innkeeper.
maybe he's just confident enough in his team to do a good job and if he knows that, why not try something else you have almost full control over and a buttload of experience? also, he seems to dislike that people give him almost all the credit for the game and that's not even close to the real truth.. most of you probably would do the same thing at some point
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
[nevermind - Hearthpwn image linking is fubared]
right in the feels
Ben you were like a dad to me who i never met and had the most amazing laugh!
The game will not feel the same without you!
*cries everytime*
Well, good luck to the person who will have to fill Ben's shoes, good luck indeed. Have fun Ben and im looking forward to hear about your first project! ;-)
Are you fucking kidding me? HS will never be the same again... FeelsBadMan
Ya it will, for a little bit longer. He's already worked on the next 3 expansions to be released. After that, idk...
Whats the Starbucks namedropping at the end about? DansGame Completely uncalled for.
I... I.. am just... speechless. Everything I can say is thank you Ben, and wish you all the best.
Now I'm gonna cry.
Best news I’ve heard all week. Now just gotta get rid of Dave Kosak and Hearthstone can find some personalities who aren’t complete cringe. Good riddance Ben Brode. Your awful laugh won’t be missed. Downvote away Blizzard shills.
Let me guess, if something is in any way a little wholesome or someone tries to have a little fun with something, then you consider it cringe, right?
Did i hit the nail on the head or what?
[nevermind]
Holy Crap.. what a shock.
Wonder if he put in a notice or was just like, I'm out? Seems like they timed it well with the expansion cycle though.
Man Hearthstone is never going to be the same. Peanut Butter is still good.. but was amazing with Jelly.
First Wenger, now Ben Brode. What is happening?!!!
As a longtime Gooner, I can't say I was shocked that Wenger was (finally?) stepping down.
Ben Brode, though? /headsplode
May both teams carry on to even higher levels of greatness under new leadership!