World of Warcraft chief rewards designer Russ Petersen left Blizzard, where Russ has been with Blizzard for a decade. On social media, Petersen said, "I hope to bring something fun to players who download World of Warcraft for free. Thank you all for the privilege of participating in this almost unreal journey. Petersen did not explain the reason for his departure or his next move, which is the fourth senior developer to leave Blizzard this year
Petersen has a strong place in the modern development of World of Warcraft. He has been responsible for designing World of Warcraft's reward system since the Legion Re-Arrivals, with much of it going behind the scenes.
Blizzard isn't Petersen's first company to work for, having previously designed for the online game Wild Planet at Cabine Studios. Judging from his professional experience, he should join an online game company to continue working.
Blizzard has recently been plagued by workplace bullying, prejudice and sexual harassment in the workplace, coupled with the upcoming acquisition by Microsoft, and the departure of many senior developers, what awaits Blizzard will undoubtedly be a change.