Johanna Faries Takes Over From Mike Ybarra As Head Of Blizzard

Johanna Faries has been brought up by Microsoft Gaming as the new head of Blizzard Entertainment.

Blizzard publicly shared the email Faries sent to employees. We’ve handpicked some pertinent parts of the email below.

First off, Faries did address the fact that she received this promotion shortly after Microsoft Gaming fired some employees at Blizzard and their other game studios:

“Though my official first day with you all is February 5, I want to let you know immediately that it is an honor to join you next week in this new capacity. I do so humbly and in awe of all that Blizzard has stood for and delivered to the world for over thirty years.

Today also brings some mixed emotions. The loss of talented teammates in recent days is hard to hold side-by-side with the immense excitement I feel about joining Blizzard – and building on the momentum you’ve created for Blizzard’s next chapter.”

Faries discussed differences in Activision and Blizzard’s culture:

“Activision, Blizzard, and King are decidedly different companies with distinct games, cultures, and communities. It is important to note that Call of Duty’s way of waking up in the morning to deliver for players can often differ from the stunning games in Blizzard’s realm: each with different gameplay experiences, communities that surround them, and requisite models of success.

I’ve discussed this with the Blizzard leadership team and I’m walking into this role with sensitivity to those dynamics, and deep respect for Blizzard, as we begin to explore taking our universes to even higher heights.”

Faries promised to have a town hall meeting, but is also scheduling meet-and-greets, and asked people who aren’t physically in Irvine to reach out to her. She also shared this personal introduction to these employees:

“A few personal facts about me: my #1 job in life is raising two amazing boys. In addition to parenthood, a typical week for me includes finding time for daily yoga and prayer, and of course, playing video games (big Diablo IV fan over here!). Throughout, the joy I find in games – and working with those who make them – only deepens.”

Faries will be taking the role previously filled by Mike Ybarra, starting February 5, 2024. As reported by Bloomberg, she is currently general manager of the Call of Duty franchise over at Activision, and that position will be filled by their current Vice President of Product Management, Matt Cox.

Faries previously held a 12 year stint at the NFL before starting with Activision at Call of Duty in 2018. A lot of attention has been placed on speculation of tension between the Activision and Blizzard divisions of Activision Blizzard King, but since the public didn’t know Faries until now, or if she was a part of that situation, all that speculation attached to her is unsubstantiated. From what it sounds like, she appears to be a total stranger to them, as she is to most of us.

What’s more interesting is the bigger picture, which is how rapidly changes are happening across the Microsoft Gaming division. This seems to have happened faster than the division head Phil Spencer anticipated. But maybe we should have expected Microsoft to be accelerating that integration, so that they could make back the money they had invested in games sooner rather than later.