Blizzard president Mike Morhaime is stepping down

World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch creator Blizzard is seeing a change in leadership as longtime president Mike Morhaime steps down.

Mike Morhaime has been at Blizzard since he co-founded the company in 1991, back when it was first known as Silicon & Synapse. J. Allen Brack, veteran World of Warcraft producer, is replacing Morhaime.

Activision Blizzard announced the news overnight, and confirmed that Morhaime will remain "a strategic advisor to the company." Chief development officer Ray Gresko, and Blizzard founder Allen Adham - who rejoined the company two years ago - have both joined Blizzard’s executive leadership team.

"Blizzard was founded on the promise of making great games, and I plan to continue this fierce commitment to quality, our community, and our purpose. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s next given the strength of our pipeline," said J. Allen Brack in a statement.

J. Allen Brack has spent 12 years at Blizzard, with his most recent roles being executive producer, and senior vice president for World of Warcraft.

"After many years of working with some of the industry’s most talented people to create games and worlds for you to play in, I’ve decided it’s time for someone else to lead Blizzard Entertainment," said Morhaime.

"I am grateful to all of the hardworking and talented people at Blizzard for their dedication and creativity. Their belief in our mission and care for our players has helped Blizzard reach greater heights than I ever could have imagined."

Two years ago, Chris Metzen, another Blizzard veterean, retired from the company. The 20-year veteran served as Blizzard's senior vice president of story and franchise development before he left in September, 2016.