Ben Brode leaves Blizzard

[blue author = »Blizzard» source = »https://eu.battle.net/forums/es/hearthstone/topic/17618234110 ″]

To my friends, co-workers, and the wonderful Hearthstone community:

After 15 years at Blizzard and almost 10 years working at Hearthstone, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to embark on a new adventure.

Man, it wasn't easy writing that.

I was in my early 20s when I started working at Blizzard and my first job was testing games on the night shift.

From that first moment Blizzard was always good to me. I had the opportunity to narrate eSports events, present BlizzCons, play in rock bands, write rap and most of all work with amazing people. Although, without a doubt, the greatest opportunity came when in 2008 I joined “Team 5”; the Hearthstone team.

I am very proud of Hearthstone and I believe that we have made our own mark in the video game industry. People tell me how Hearthstone has brought their families closer together, how new friendships have emerged at the Fireside Gatherings, or how it has motivated them to become game developers. It's amazing to be a part of something that has been so important to so many people.

And while I'm very proud of Hearthstone, I'm even more proud of the team behind it.

There is no other team like this. A lot of people have come and gone throughout the 10 years that Hearthstone has been in development, but there is something really special about the Team Soul. We all knew that our most important product was not the game, but the equipment. A great team can achieve great things, and I think the Hearthstone team is without a doubt the best. For us it is not just a job, but a passion that we all share. We come to work on a game that we all love and we try to improve it day by day.

We frequently check the Hearthstone Reddit community for opportunities to help us improve the game. I have loved the memes, participating in heated debates, and even being held accountable for the high expectations we all have for the game. We try to always be available through social networks and I think we have gone a step further in that regard. It has been especially gratifying to see how the team has grown so much in this regard over the last few years as I focused more on the direction of the game and less on the design.

I get a lot credited for being the best-known face in Hearthstone, but there are over 80 people on the development team, and they really bring the cards, tavern fights, events, quests, and all to life. the news. I'm sure Hearthstone is in the best hands, hands down, and I'm excited to see where the new generation of leaders takes the game from now on.

I consider myself lucky to be able to face this madness at this point in my life, and I am excited, but at the same time somewhat scared. I am going to help create a new company. We will probably create video games, although there is nothing finalized yet. I am looking forward to designing, programming and creating things again. I'm going to miss the Starbucks on campus though… Damn.

Blizzard: Thank you so much for believing in me and believing in Hearthstone. I can't wait to see what you'll do next.

And to the passionate gaming community: I'm going to miss you, and the laughs we've shared. Being a part of Hearthstone has been really fun, and in large part that has been thanks to you. I have adored every minute.

From all my heart,

Ben Brode

[/blue]

[blue author = »Blizzard» source = »https://us.battle.net/forums/en/hearthstone/topic/20762317811 ″]

To 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

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