Former Call of Duty manager Johanna Faries is Blizzard's new president

Johanna Faries, the former general manager of the Call of Duty franchise and commissioner of its esports scene, has been named Blizzard's new president, succeeding Mike Ybarra, who left last week.

The details:

• Faries' new position was announced on Monday, with her official start date as president set for February 5, according to an email sent to employees.
• In the email, Faries acknowledged that taking over the position previously held by Ybarra may result in a "range of reactions, questions, and even concerns" due to differences in "distinct games, cultures, and communities." To ensure a smooth transition, she has discussed the process with the company's leadership team and states she has "sensitivity to those dynamics and deep respect for Blizzard."
• Faries began her career in traditional sports, spending 12 years with the NFL in various roles before moving on to the gaming industry. She oversaw the operations of COD's esports league as general manager and has been generally liked by fans and fellow industry employees.
• Last week, Microsoft Gaming announced that it would be cutting its workforce by 8%, mainly affecting Activision Blizzard. This resulted in the cancellation of Blizzard’s survival game and the departure of Ybarra, the company’s president since 2022.

More gaming news:

• Eidos Montreal has laid off around 100 employees as it cancels an unannounced Deus Ex title.
• Former Volition employees have formed Shapeshifter Games, a new co-development studio that will collaborate with AAA publishers.