Overwatch series executive producer Chacko Sonny has left Blizzard in the midst of Overwatch 2’s development for “some time off,” the company announced Tuesday.
Sonny joined Blizzard in 2016 and worked on both Overwatch games. He also served as a company vice president. He informed colleagues of his departure Friday, per a Bloomberg report. In an email to coworkers, he said working at Blizzard “has been an absolute privilege and one of the best experiences of my career.”
Some news: Chacko Sonny, executive producer for Overwatch 2 and the multi-billion-dollar Overwatch franchise, is leaving Blizzard. He was widely respected and seen as an integral part of Overwatch’s future after director Jeff Kaplan left earlier this year https://t.co/rrp4nUJDpK
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 21, 2021
He did not provide a reason for his departure, and made no reference to the ongoing lawsuit involving the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the recent complaint filed against Activision Blizzard with the National Labor Review Board, or the investigations being conducted by the Securities Exchange Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Blizzard employees told Bloomberg Sonny was well-respected and that they weren’t aware of any allegations against him. He was seen as a stabilizing force following the departure of longtime game director Jeff Kaplan in April.
Sonny is the latest in a long line of high profile departures at Blizzard. Diablo 4 game director Luis Barriga, lead designer Jesse McCree, and World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft were all let go from Blizzard last month. President J. Allen Brack quit around the same time, as did the company’s head of human resources, Jesse Meschuk. The company’s chief legal officer, Claire Hart, left Monday.
Overwatch 2 still has no release date. Blizzard recently said the game was in the final stages of production, with new information to be revealed Saturday during the Overwatch League Grand Finals.
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