Few developers are as recognized within Blizzard Entertainment as Chris Metzen. The talented creative was a cornerstone of the company for years, so his retirement was a shock to many. Fortunately, he returned last year and is now ready to take the reins of the franchise once again.
Through a statement, Blizzard announced that Metzen will return to work on World of Warcraft.Specifically, the legendary creative has taken on the role of Executive Creative Director of the Warcraft universe.
What does that mean? He is the head who will help determine the direction Warcraft will take. That's not all, as he will also work closely with other leaders of World of Warcraft to help create the next generation of the MMORPG.
"Chris played a fundamental role in laying the foundations of the Warcraft universe, and we are excited to have him back as part of our team to outline the future of the series," Blizzard stated in their announcement.
It is expected that it will be at the next edition of BlizzCon where Metzen and his team will share information about what they have been preparing. So, it's just a matter of time before we learn more about what the future of Warcraft will look like.
Why did Chris Metzen leave Blizzard Entertainment?
In case you didn't know, it was in September 2016 when Chris Metzen made the decision to retire after 10 years of work.
At the time he announced his retirement, the reasons for this decision were not clear; however, in an interview, he revealed that he suffered from burnout and panic attacks that made him feel it was best to retire.
"Leaving Blizzard was very difficult. I had been there since I was a kid. I think I was 19 when they hired me, and it was my whole life, it was my identity. (...) I think during those years I suffered from burnout syndrome. I think in my heart, I needed a change in my life. I wanted to relax. I just wanted to not carry all the weight," Metzen mentioned, a creative who contributed to Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Overwatch.
"[The failure of Titan] made me feel schizophrenic. I began to have panic attacks all the time, and my anxiety didn't stop. Before I retired, I think I had panic attacks all the time, but I didn't know what was happening. Kat and I would go on dates to watch a movie, and almost all the time, I would start feeling panicked in the middle of the movie. I had no idea what was going on," recounted the former Blizzard member.
That said, in late 2022, Metzen announced that he returned to Blizzard as a creative advisor to the Warcraft leadership team. Apparently, the talented developer is enjoying this process, as he has taken on more responsibilities within the franchise.
What do you think of this news? Are you happy about Metzen's return to World of Warcraft? Tell us in the comments.
World of Warcraft is available for PC and Mac.
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