Chris Metzen, Senior VP of Story and Franchise Development at Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly retiring, according to Business Insider. That was soon then confirmed by a Blizzard forum post on behalf of Metzen. Metzen was deeply involved in the creation of the Diablo universe, as well as being the overall lead man for each Blizzard Franchise overall story. Beyond that, he provides his voice to some major characters like Thrall and Varian Wrynn in the Warcraft series, as well as doing some artwork.
This has been unconfirmed by Blizzard yet, and so far the only outlet reporting this is Business Insider. Metzen has been at Blizzard for 23 years, seeing it grow from just a small group to one of the most recognizable names in the gaming world. He has had a huge hand in each franchise from Blizzard, crafting stories, characters, worlds, and more.
Until we hear officially from Blizzard, we do not yet know who will be replacing Metzen in his role as the overseer of all things story and writing for Blizzard's franchises; maybe nobody will and it will be left to the team he's assembled. We are likely safe to assume, however, that Metzen will not be cutting ties completely from Blizzard, as said before he offers his voice for big name characters in the Warcraft universe.
As for what is next for Metzen, he had this to say in that forum post:
The reason I use the word “retire” is because I’m not going to some other company or starting up new projects or anything remotely like that. It’s been a long, amazing stretch of years. Now it’s time to slow it down. Rest. Lay around on the couch and get fat. Well, fatter.…
Quick Take
Metzen has long become a running meme in the Blizzard community, as he is, of course, the one to blame for all the disagreements fans have with the story, lore, and more. As someone who has blamed him myself, it's a little sad to see him go. Some will curtly say "good riddance," but sit there in the irony that Metzen has had a massive role in the thing(s) they are extremely passionate about.
Myself, I wish Metzen good luck in whatever he wants to focus on next, and I hope he continues to be somewhat of a presence over at Blizzard. I don't buy he'll be retired forever. He'll pick something up he wants to show to the world.
What do you think of this news? How do you think this will impact Blizzard going forward? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
