Following the departure of Mike Ybarra, Blizzard has announced its new president: Activision's former general manager of its Call of Duty franchise, Johanna Faries.
Faries' new position was announced last night, following layoffs at Microsoft last week. Her appointment marks the first new leader of the studio since Microsoft finally purchased Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in October, following almost two years of regulatory approvals and legal wrangling. Her official first day will be next month, on 5th February.
In an email sent to Blizzard staff, Faries acknowledged that her new role at Blizzard may stir up a "range of reactions, questions and even concerns". The new president noted Activision, Blizzard and indeed King are all "decidedly different companies with distinct games, cultures and communities", despite being under one umbrella.