Thank You, Mike
By now, Mike Morhaime, co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, has announced that he is stepping down as CEO and president of the company after an incredible 27 year run overseeing a nonstop string of hit games. Over the next days and weeks, I expect to see press retrospectives and anecdotes talking about Mike’s impact as one of the game industry’s greatest developers and leaders. In my past life, I would have written one of those, but today I’m here to share a personal anecdote about Mike that exemplifies who he is as a person.
Some context: I’m a 20 year veteran of the game industry, having spent the first 8 or so years of that as an editor for pubs like FiringSquad and GameSpot. For most of the past 12 years, I’ve worked in PR and Corporate Communications for Blizzard. In that time, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Mike on a number of projects, including opening ceremonies for BlizzCon and other events, talks at the DICE Summit, ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ, ATVI investor relations calls, and more. We’ve also spent a fair bit of time talking StarCraft, esports, and poker.
Joining Blizzard in that role completely changed my life — I was able to travel the world through work, expand my professional and personal horizons, and stabilize financially. Over time, I was able to dig out from a bit of personal debt and eventually, combined with my then-girlfriend (now-wife), buy a home. For all of those things, I’m so grateful to Mike and others at Blizzard. It’s never far from my mind how fortunate I was to get an opportunity that these days, feels out of reach to far too many of us.
When Mike and Amy heard that my wife and I bought a home last year, they let me know they got us a housewarming gift. I told them they could bring it in the office anytime, but they insisted on visiting us at our home. On the day they came by, I heard my doorbell ring and opened the door to find the Morhaimes parked on my driveway. And there was Mike, hefting a good sized, potted fig tree out of his car while Amy and their daughter looked on. I’ll never forget how I felt in that moment: mostly humbled, and maybe a bit embarrassed for myself. The CEO, plus the executive head of esports of a multi-billion dollar company, just hand-delivered me a housewarming present. Most people, if they even bothered, would have just had that tree FedExed or something. But it mattered to them to see us and our home. And that gesture made me feel like I mattered.
I’m devastated that Mike is leaving the company I’ve been a die-hard fan of since Warcraft II. He led by example, and deeply cares about the community, and all the folks who worked for him. I have more stories about Mike and his warmth, generosity, and down-to-earth nature. This is the one that sticks with me the most, and I’m reminded of it every time I look out on the fig tree growing in my yard.
Thanks for everything Mike, and I hope you enjoy extended time off you’ve earned many times over. I’m honored to have you and Amy as friends, and look forward to more poker and esports with you down the road.