Microsoft announces Johanna Faries as new Blizzard president

New Blizzard appointment: Microsoft has announced the appointment of Johanna Faries, former general manager of "Call of Duty," as the new president of Blizzard Entertainment, a game publishing unit acquired in Microsoft's $69 billion deal with Activision Blizzard last year. The tech giant also revealed that Matt Cox, an insider, will assume the role of senior vice president and general manager of Call of Duty immediately.

Effective February 5, Faries, who previously served over a decade at the National Football League (NFL) before joining Activision Blizzard in 2018, will step into her new role. This announcement comes in the wake of Microsoft's recent layoffs, affecting 1,900 employees at Activision Blizzard and Xbox. Simultaneously, Mike Ybarra and Allen Adham, who held key positions at Blizzard, departed from the company.

Blizzard Entertainment is a video game developer and publisher known for creating popular gaming franchises such as Warcraft, Diablo, StarCraft, and Overwatch. The company was founded in 1991 and has since become a major player in the gaming industry. Blizzard is renowned for its high-quality and immersive games, often featuring rich storytelling, complex game mechanics, and engaging multiplayer experiences.

(With Reuters inputs)