Back in the 1990s, Blizzard had maintained an ironclad rule: from the CEO to the receptionist, only gamers were allowed at the company. This rule had been relaxed over the years as the company aimed to diversify beyond traditional video game fans, but the idea was to ensure that everyone cared about the mission to prioritize players. Now, one of Blizzard’s most powerful employees seemed to embody another approach. “This guy doesn’t care if he’s selling StarCraft, or tires, or cereal, or diapers,” one former Blizzard executive recalled thinking. “That really made me profoundly sad.”
