Ahead of the launch of Overwatch 2, the lead hero designer for most of the game’s new playable characters, Geoff Goodman, is leaving Blizzard. Goodman acted as lead hero designer for many of the playable characters in the original Overwatch as well.
Regarding Overwatch 2, Goodman helped design Sojourn and Junker Queen. It’s likely he played a part in designing the recently announced Kiriko as well, but that has not been officially confirmed.
A Blizzard spokesperson told PC Gamer that Goodman made the decision to leave Blizzard “earlier this year,” before providing the outlet with the following statement:
“We thank [Goodman] for his many years of service at Blizzard and wish him all the best. His ability to bring to life Overwatch’s diverse hero roster through gameplay has been incredible, and the mark he’s left on the Warcraft and Overwatch teams will be felt for years to come.”
PC Gamer’s report does not list a reason for Goodman’s departure. That said, there has been a pattern of high-profile Overwatch developers leaving Blizzard over the past year, including director Jeff Kaplan in April 2021, lead character artist Renaud Galand in May 2021, executive producer Chacko Sonny in September 2021, and producer Tracy Kennedy in February 2022.
Many of these departures occurred after July 2021, when California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard over claims of equal pay violations, sex discrimination, and sexual harassment.
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