The Game Director of Hearthstone throws in the towel. Ben Brode leaves Blizzard after almost 15 years.
If you were to ask players about the developers of Hearthstone, “Ben Brode” would surely be the first name that comes up. Everyone knows the perpetually positive Game Director of Hearthstone, who is “SO EXCITED” about every new announcement or kicks off his streams with a deep “Well met!”
No matter how you spin it, Ben Brode is the face of Hearthstone and the figurehead of Blizzard’s “Team 5”.
But that is now over.
Last night (April 20, 2018), Ben Brode announced in the official forum that he is leaving Blizzard. He will help to start a new development studio.
Brode was a prime example of the “American Dream” – he started out as a pizza delivery driver, was then hired at Blizzard for game testing, and steadily worked his way up the ranks until he ultimately became the leader of Team 5 and thus the Game Director of Hearthstone.
Brode thanked for his nearly 15 years at Blizzard and reassured players that Hearthstone is in the best hands – he would have been more of an undeserving figurehead anyway, as others would design all the cards and game modes.
Fans especially appreciated Brode for his openness and active communication with the community. Almost no day went by without Ben Brode being mentioned on Reddit. When fans were unhappy with a new addon because it didn’t include a song, he would take to the microphone himself and deliver the rap:
Brode wants to be creative again
Those who read his farewell post attentively will easily recognize what Brode has missed in recent years: the actual creation of new content. As Game Director, he had to take on a more controlling and leading role and was hardly involved in the actual design of cards.
What “new company” and especially with whom he is founding it, he has not revealed yet. Blizzard will surely miss Brode painfully – because in terms of pure PR, it seems unlikely that anyone will come close to the shining star anytime soon.
What do you think of Brode’s decision? Will you miss the man as the “figurehead of Hearthstone”?
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