Mike Ybarra's Statement on Improving Culture at Blizzard Entertainment / 9.2 announce next week?

‘‘We also know we need to deliver content to our players on a more regular basis and innovate both in and beyond our existing games. We have some exciting things to announce, and I’ll be sharing more next week.’’

9 Likes

“Our top priority—now and into the future—is the work we are doing to rebuild your trust in Blizzard.”

Stop nerfing Holy Shock by 10+% with every patch lest there be crickets.

13 Likes

The Next Expansion might possibly be announced next week?!

This regular basis thing is probably Microsoft’s doing as well.

3 Likes

I don’t know maybe just 9.2 date

4 Likes

Oh noes holy paladin gets knocked down a peg but still remains meta. GG blizz ded spec ded game

22 Likes

This is great news. Really happy with the improvements in communication. Stellar job Blizzard.

2 Likes

They’re nerfing the damage on it for… very obvious reasons. I’m sorry that Holy paladin can’t be the best healer spec for 4 seasons in a row.

3 Likes

I like Mike a lot, hopefully he will be in it to win it!

2 Likes

Highly unlikely. While Microsoft has made the bid to acquire Activition Blizzard, they’re not in a position to make any changes until the deal is approved and completed next year.

3 Likes

Mike Ybarra = Ex Microsoft , Microsoft control Blizzard already

That’s not how it works, but you’re welcomed to continue to wear your tinfoil hat.

2 Likes

It could be, not because Microsoft is controlling things yet. But because they did have talks with Phil Spencer about how to go about changing things.

2 Likes

Technically, no.

Microsoft can suggest all the changes in the world but they have no control or say over if Actiivision Blizzard or any subsidiary would act upon those suggestions.

It ultimately comes down to Actiivision Blizzard and Blizzard Entertainment to act upon those suggestions, and either way that’s technically Activision Blizzard making those changes, not Microsoft.

Yes, it’s semantics but in situations like this, semantics are important to understand the landscape of all the interactions and transactions between AVTI and MSFT over the next 12 months until the deal is approved and finalized.

1 Like

I didn’t say control. I said specifically not because Microsoft is controlling things. It’s always customary for companies to start making adjustments leading up to an acquisition to start fitting into that company’s culture.

1 Like

I would say its way too early given the news just broke and its even highly possible given where this would put Microsoft in the industry that the deal could get blocked by federal regulators.

Except Mike Ybarra as a direct line to the desires of his “future” bosses. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume he’s restructuring in anticipation of a company culture he was a part of for quite some time.

7 Likes

In Blizz’s current state, it’s never too early. We do know they sought out advice and that Phil gave it. So they are open to it. Microsoft is the #3 gaming company in the world. Acti-Blizz is #7. They likely feel that their advice it beneficial.

2 Likes

Next week would be the Q4 earnings call I do believe.

While 9.2 still is testing strong, it is coming closer to an end. There is still no media barrage, which would make us assume there is still a few more weeks. I’m going to say we are on track for that mid-Feb time frame.

Sure, we did the same with Microsoft, Amazon, VMWare, and a host of others when we had to develop protocols and policies around Covid 19 in the IT industry. You want to make sure that you’re using best practices and the collaboration allows for lots of broad ideas to be reviewed and to let the best rise to the surface.

I just think its flawed (not you but others in this thread) to elude to the fact that Microsoft is controlling anything at this point. We sought the advice of others and chose to act on that advice in what we felt was fitting for what we needed for our company. In a similar way, that is likely precisely what is happening here.

Sure, but even so that’s less of Microsoft controlling and more of the fact that Mike is trying to take where Blizzard is and what he experienced at Microsoft that fells is better and retrofitting that at Blizzard. That’s completely different than “controlling” as someone mentioned earlier.

1 Like

But he didn’t communicate anything, except giving an I.O.U. that he’s going to communicate… next week!

:thinking:

5 Likes