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
π why did Ben leave!?!?
i literally jumped of my seat when I saw the anouncement! i am so sorry for some of the things I have said about you! Announcement just won't be the same! Oh how I will miss you during expansion anouncements!
π΅Swing low, Sweet chariotπ΅. ππππππππππππππππππππ
Haven't been able to open the game and play since this announcement, yes, I'm that sad... :'(
I don't want to open the game and be reminded how much I already and going to miss Ben. Excited for Ben though, what a great guy and I'm probably gonna support whatever game/app you develop next :)
When do I get my Ben Brode card???
Best of luck to him!
Yay. No more douchebag Ben videos
I hope they bring him back on a temporary basis just for set announcements. His enthusiasm and laughter was the secret sauce for Hearthstone. Truly a source of a lot of joy in a game that many of us love.
Ben, wishing you all the best in your next endeavor!
Ben good luck in your future business but if you print cards again please don't print Mysterious Challenger again :)
He seems like a really good dude so sad to see him go in that respect. BUT hopefully this means whoever they get to run Hearthstone may take it in a new (less random RNG) direction! We can only hope! Good luck with the new startup Ben!
So no word on who the new game director is? I'm sure Ben gave them notice and just stuck it out till the expansion launched.
F
Bye Bye Bro Brode.
Massive respect to Ben and huge appreciation for my favourite game! GG
:(
Obviously im in the minority here but i dont care about the guys laugh. everyone swooning over his laugh is freaking me out, go read tiger beat or something,. i hope the new devs bring some fresh ideas to the table, that is all
Th reason you're getting the down-votes probably has something to do Ben Brode having nothing to do with the game development despite being its face. There won't be any new developers unless a developer takes his place. From the developers we've seen so far, any of them would be a poor replacement.
not saying my post wasnt stupid but i dont think yours is any smarter. i would argue that fresh ideas would make the game more profitable since it would lead to more player retention and interest in the upcoming expansions. the main reason people are shitting on WW is that the top tier decks didn't change much. As poorly phrased as my comment was I stand by the notion that new people, new ideas would be a good thing for the game
who will we pray 2 now?
Ben direction is focus on fun then have so much random card and make some people hate this game . Ben is good and funny people in personal I really love him but I also want to see something new in HS and reduce randomness.
Thank you so much Ben Brode for all the laughs and excitement. You made this game enjoyable and memorable, i wish you luck on your next adventure.
P.s. Blizzard should totally make a Ben brode card for the classic set.
Oh no! Who are all the salty people going to blame for everything now?