Blizzard Names Former Xbox Executive Mike Ybarra as EVP and GM

Mentioned in this article

• Mike Ybarra will be the new executive vice president and general manager of Blizzard Entertainment.
• Ybarra spent nearly two decades with Microsoft, including the last 10 years in the Xbox division.
• He will appear at November’s BlizzCon, which features esports competitions for Overwatch, Hearthstone, and other Blizzard games.

Mike Ybarra, a former Microsoft executive who spent more than 19 years with the company, has been named the new executive vice president and general manager of Blizzard Entertainment.

Ybarra worked in the Xbox division for nearly a decade, and was most recently the corporate vice president for Xbox Live, Xbox Game Pass, and Microsoft’s Mixer streaming service. Ybarra tweeted out the news yesterday, noting that he will start on Nov. 4 but will be at BlizzCon from Nov. 1-3.

“We will work with all our energy to serve gamers with incredible content and experiences,” he tweeted. “I can’t wait to be part of this team.”

Blizzard Entertainment is the studio behind Overwatch, Hearthstone, and World of Warcraft. The company recently encountered criticism after suspending a player who advocated for Hong Kong’s liberation from China during a Hearthstone Grandmasters Asia Pacific broadcast. Blizzard reduced the suspension following a public outcry that included politicians, commentators, and competing game studios, although player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai still faces a six-month suspension from pro competitions.

BlizzCon 2019 will feature a number of esports competitions, including the Overwatch World Cup, Hearthstone Grandmasters Global Finals, StarCraft II World Championship Series Global Finals, and a pair of World of Warcraft events.

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