Blizzard's New President Steps In, Diablo 4 Gets a Shoutout, and Asmongold Dies to a Loading Screen Bug

Blizzard has a new president. Johanna Ferris, a Harvard graduate who spent 12 years at the NFL before moving to Activision to run esports and later manage the Call of Duty franchise, has taken over the role previously held by Mike Ybarra. Ybarra left during the recent round of Microsoft layoffs that cut 1,900 jobs across the company—though whether he was laid off or left voluntarily was never made clear. Asmongold, the streamer and commentator, walked through Ferris's background, the internal memo she sent to employees, and what her appointment might mean for Blizzard's future. He also covered a bizarre hardcore death in Diablo 4 caused by a loading screen bug, a positive reception to the game's latest patch, and a few other updates.

Who Is Johanna Ferris and What Does Her Appointment Mean?

Ferris comes from the NFL, where she spent over a decade, then moved to Activision to lead esports for Call of Duty. She helped form global city-based Call of Duty leagues with 12 professional teams across four countries—a model that Asmongold noted was similar to the Overwatch League approach, which he called "stupid" and said "failed." After that, she became the franchise manager for Call of Duty before moving to the Blizzard president role.