Blizzard's New President Previously Oversaw Call Of Duty

Blizzard's first new president under Microsoft's ownership is Johanna Faries, who previously served as the general manager of Call of Duty as part of Activision.

Faries joined Activision in 2018 as the publisher's commissioner for Call of Duty esports, and later became the general manager for the Call of Duty franchise, a title she's held for close to three years. Prior to working at Activision, Fairies spent over a decade working at the NFL, where she served first as the NFL's director of consumer products and licensing, and later as VP of marketing strategy and fan development. She briefly served as its VP of club business development before joining Activision.

She replaces Mike Ybarra as Blizzard president, who recently stepped down amidst mass layoffs at Activision and Blizzard that saw more than 1,900 employees lose their jobs. In an email sent to all Blizzard employees, Fairies acknowledged the recent layoffs, noting that "the loss of talented teammates in recent days is hard to hold side-by-side with the immense excitement I feel about joining Blizzard."

She also acknowledged that Activision, Blizzard, and King are all different companies with different needs, and that she is walking into the role of president "with sensitivity to those dynamics."

"It is important to note that Call of Duty's way of waking up in the morning to deliver for players can often differ from the stunning games in Blizzard's realm: each with different gameplay experiences, communities that surround them, and requisite models of success."

Faries said she is committed to helping Blizzard thrive "with care and consideration for you and for our games, each unique and special in their own right."

When Faries starts on February 5, she won't be Blizzard's first female leader. Jen Oneal briefly served as co-leader of Blizzard alongside Ybarra in 2021, following the departure of former president J. Allen Brack in the wake of a gender discrimination lawsuit brought by the state of California accusing the developer of fostering a sexist work environment. Oneal only served as co-president for three months before stepping down from the role, citing unequal pay and expressing a lack of faith in Activision Blizzard leadership. The lawsuit that originally spurred the leadership change was recently settled to the tune of $54 million.

In her email, Fairies noted she is a "big Diablo 4 fan" and that the joy she finds in playing games and working with those who create them "only deepens."

"I remain inspired by Blizzard's iconic legacy, and the transformative role gaming has played in my life and in the lives of others," she said. " I cannot wait to get going--to listen, to learn, to empower, and to collaborate with all of you on our bold and bright future together. Together, may we forge many legendary days ahead."