Dustin Browder is leaving Heroes of the Storm to work on other Blizzard projects

A Dustin “Terrible, Terrible Damage!” Browder compilation

I must admit, when I first started playing Heroes of the Storm back when it was in Technical Alpha in 2014, something just didn’t click. Sure, the game was fun, but it felt a little too dumbed down for my liking, and I just didn’t see it sticking around in the long run.

Fast forward some time though, and hey, Heroes of the Storm is still here. As it turns out, it really is excellent, and it has a level of complexity that I didn’t initially grasp. It’s now my favourite MOBA, yes, even over and above Dota 2.

Under the watchful eye of its Game Director, Dustin Browder, Heroes of the Storm has really grown into something special over the past couple of years. Sadly though, the time has come for him to move on. He made the announcement over on the Battle.net forums:

“Working at Blizzard is the coolest. Our leaders support us in making the most awesome games I have ever played. We are encouraged to take the time we need to make them awesome, and then to keep improving them for years after they go live. We sometimes get exciting chances to work on other projects, too. I’m going to take one of those chances to try something new at Blizzard.”

What I’ve always like about Browder is that he really is passionate about his work. On his Twitter account for example, it’s not uncommon to see him taking the time to reply to scores of questions from fans regarding Heroes of the Storm. That sort of love and commitment to a game isn’t very common, so it’s sad to see him go.

He leaves Heroes of the Storm in the care of Alan Dabiri – a 20-year Blizzard veteran:

“Alan has had a hand in nearly every aspect of Heroes since the beginning, both in his role as our technical director and as part of the team’s collaborative development process. Alan is also a passionate member of the community, and he’s always in touch with what’s happening on Reddit, in our forums, and wherever you’re talking about Heroes. He’s been relentlessly working to make Heroes better for years, and I’m excited that he’ll be continuing to push the game forward as game director.”

So it’s not doom and gloom at least. Heroes of the Storm is still very much in good hands! As for Browder, well, he hasn’t said what he’ll be doing moving forward. Is he working on a new game maybe? I sure hope so!

Last Updated: December 9, 2016