Overwatch Lead Writer Michael Chu Leaves Blizzard After 20 Years

Michael Chu may be best known for his work on Overwatch, but it is certainly not the only game under his belt. Chu helped bring characters to life across many of Blizzard Entertainment’s IPs, including the likes of Diablo 3, World of Warcraft, and more. However, it appears that chapter is coming to a close as Chu has announced that he is leaving Blizzard after 20 years at the studio.

Chu recently took to his personal website to announce that after 20 years, he is leaving Blizzard. “From the battles between the races of Azeroth in Warcraft to the corruption of humanity as pawns of the Eternal Conflict in Diablo, I was lucky enough to tell stories in these amazing universes and help bring them to life,” Chu said. “And I have had the great fortune to get to know and interact with the passionate global community that played our games.”

Twenty years after first walking through the doors at Blizzard, I’m moving on to new adventures! Overwatch has been an amazing experience and one that I will treasure forever. Thank you to everyone for your support over the years! https://t.co/rG4zPe9SGC

— Michael Chu (@westofhouse) March 11, 2020

Chu is well-known for the lore he helped create in the Overwatch universe via short pieces and comics, which helped flesh out the overall story outside of the game itself. “Overwatch has been a life-changing experience,” he said. “I have always felt that games and the stories they tell have the unique ability to bring people closer together, and that the empathy you feel from stepping into someone else’s shoes, even virtually, can bridge the gap between miles, cultures, and nations. 

“Overwatch and its consistently generous and inspiring community have only reinforced that belief. I’ve heard stories of people learning a new language after hearing a line of dialogue, people feeling inspired to take a trip to a new place after “visiting” it in-game, and people meeting teammates across languages and borders to take up the cause of making our world a better place. But most of all: again and again, of people empathizing with a story about someone who is not the same as them.”

Chu was also working on the upcoming Overwatch 2, which will feature more in-game lore, including story-driven campaign missions. Overwatch 2 is currently without a release date.