Check out your Company Bowl for anonymous work chats.
Meet Takki Thammawan, the Thai artist who inspired the creation of Lifeweaver in Overwatch 2 🌸 “How many Thai characters can you name from video games? To me, it’s really new, and it’s a great opportunity to show this side of Thailand: the cultural side. It's really refreshing to have a Thai character that is “the creator”, the people that care, the people that heal. It’s not just the visual, even the narrative team, skin team - they all reached out to me asking a lot of questions about Thailand. I was surprised how excited they were to work on this and also how much they wanted to get it right. I hope our Thai audience agrees that to have a character that is so optimistic, so kind, and wanting to bring the greatest ideal future to the world while fighting against corporate evil. I think it’s a really good message. It speaks to me."
Meet Kelly Yeo, Associate Game Producer on Diablo IV 🔥 “Growing up in Singapore, I played a lot of games - especially RPGs. Playing couch co-op with my younger brother was a significant part of my childhood, and video games provided an escape during tough or lonely times. Singapore is a relatively young country, but as a melting pot it has so many stories to tell as it continues to develop and come into its own, and I always try to share details about it with folks that might not be familiar. I've been on the Diablo 4 team since July 2022 and am currently a producer on the Exterior Art team. Everyone has a different path into gaming, but for me what was key was networking in an organic way. My motto is "Make friends, not contacts". It seems perhaps obvious or overly simplified, but people value relationships that aren't just a means to an end - and when you uplift others, they are likely to uplift you in turn.”
Meet Sara McMunn, Senior IT Service Desk Specialist and Blizzcon Cosplay Contest Finalist. 🧵 “I found my passion for Blizzard when I started playing World of Warcraft in university back in 2007. It was unlike any other game I had played before, as it gave me the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world and escape from reality together. Today, I work with a phenomenal and highly supportive team of diverse talent within IT, supporting everyone at Blizzard. I feel like I can truly be myself, and for many things I had ever wished for within IT, I have it all here. My Culture is essential to me, as I grew up in a Filipino household where my parents were first-generation immigrants. They taught me the value of "work hard, play hard" and how it applies to different aspects of life, like working in IT, making cosplay, and pushing WoW keys. For anyone looking to join the gaming industry, I would always recommend showcasing your personal passion projects outside of work and how they help you achieve your professional goals."
Blizzard's Kayleigh Calder, lead game producer for the forthcoming action role-playing game Diablo IV, had been a gamer since before she knew the term—at age 7 she’d pore over StarCraft instruction manuals, and by 10 she’d be plotting star navigation maps in spreadsheets next to her Dad as he blasted into deep space on his PC. She might not have had the terminology for what she was, but she knew she had the passion. Click the article to read her full story.
🚨 We're hiring in HR, Product Management, QA, and Engineering! 🚨 Are you ready to start a legendary career? Apply now!
Meet Natasha Miller, Senior Research Scientist II at Blizzard Entertainment. ⚔️ At Blizzard, I am proud to have created and grown the Behavior by Design product on the Player Interactions and Trust team. Our team works to ensure all Blizzard communities foster respectful player interactions. We started with just one product: a machine learning algorithm we were trying to develop to detect disruptive text chat. With Overwatch 2, we were able to implement several impactful proactive systems, which eventually led to the formation of the Behavior by Design product. It has been an incredible success and is now a core part of many of our games. Aside from my work on the Behavior by Design product, I also serve as a member of the steering committee for the Fair Play Alliance. My team was one of the first to join the FPA before it was officially formed in 2017, and I now lead the project stream that organizes the Fair Play Summit at GDC and am part of the research team producing the Design Playbook for Digital Thriving.”
Our amazing VFX team sat down with VFX Apprentice to share their experiences of working on World of Warcraft including our latest release, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight 🐉 Check out the article now to get exclusive game insights and career advice.
Meet Dai Ibrahim, Level Up U Graduate and Associate Software Engineer, Art Tools on Diablo IV “I strongly believe in representing my culture regardless of where I am, and I believe that everyone should have the confidence to do the same. Our diverse backgrounds provide us with unique perspectives on life, making us all the more interesting as individuals. As a woman, and particularly as an Arab hijabi Muslim woman, I have often found myself in the minority throughout my academic and professional experiences. However, my distinct appearance and background have also given me the opportunity to represent my culture without even trying. Although we might be different in culture, we share a common passion for creating great games, and that begins with fostering an environment of mutual understanding and respect. I think it is very important to lead by example and create a space where others can also be empowered to be their most authentic self." #ArabAmericanHeritageMonth
Meet Vivian Chiang, Associate Digital Content Manager for Overwatch League ⚡ #blizzardwomen "Representation in games is vital to me. I believe that we're all unique and talented in our own ways, and seeing that represented is so important. It makes me feel recognized, and I hope it inspires more women to be confident and true to themselves. That's why I wanted to join Blizzard, to help players feel represented, seen, and heard, and to hopefully make a positive change, even if it's a small one. To anyone looking to join the industry, my advice would be to embrace your unique talents and show off your superpowers! Being true to yourself and leaning into what you're good at will take you far.” Art by Celena Sam 🎨
Meet Buffy Rice, Game Producer on Diablo IV 🔥 #BlizzardWomen “In every job I’ve held, my end goal has always been to make people happy. Before joining the game industry, I had a pretty colorful resume that included being a party expert, managing a root beer store, and working as a legal assistant. When I first saw an opportunity to get involved in the game industry as an event coordinator, it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. I could work in games? This incredible thing that brought me and the people I love so many hours of joy? It was a dream I never expected to come true. My advice to women who want a career in gaming is to find out what you might be interested in and dive deep. You never know what kind of skills you already have that could apply. If you feel overwhelmed by how much there is to learn, a solid first step is to chat with your friendly neighborhood game developer. There's no single path into game development, and a lot of industry veterans would be happy to share their story. ” (Art By Celena Sam 🎨)
