Hearthstone game director August Dean Ayala has retired after 11 years at Blizzard.
Ayala, who announced the news on Twitter (below), revealed that August 16th would be his last day at the company, but didn’t reveal what his next endeavor would be. It jokingly says “unemployed”.
In a post, Ayala wrote, “After 11 years, I’m leaving Blizzard. “Hearthstone is a great game. I will never forget that I was able to contribute even a little to its creation. Thank you to all the players.” , a special thank you to my fellow game creators.I’m so proud of all of us.We built it together.”
I’m leaving Blizzard after 11 years.
Hearthstone is a great game. It is an honor that I will never forget that I was able to contribute even a little to its production. Thanks to all players and a special thanks to fellow game creators. I am proud of everything we have built together. pic.twitter.com/zhc0PBuOke— August Dean Ayala 💙 (@IksarHS) September 16, 2022
Ayala thanked the countless team members past and present, as well as the friends she’s made in the Hearthstone community and 11 years at Blizzard.
He joined the company in 2011 as a Quality Assurance Analyst and moved to the role of Hearthstone Game Designer in 2014. Within two years Ayala became the lead game designer, and in February this year he became the game director.
Hearthstone has grown steadily since 2014, but has faced some criticism of its monetization model in recent months and years, including selling a single card for $25. . However, in an effort to win back some players who have left the game, Blizzard recently offered up to 150 packs (worth around $200) to get back into the game.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He talks about witchers all day long.
