Overwatch lead writer departs Blizzard for “new adventures”

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Michael Chu, lead writer on the colourful hero shooter Overwatch, will be leaving Blizzard after twenty years with the company (via VGC).

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

He went into detail on his time with Blizzard, and what drew him to the developer in the first instance, in a lengthier post to his blog. Chu was starry-eyed when he was hired by the World of Warcraft studio, but simultaneously, he believed that new stories “needed to be told about places and people not traditionally seen” in his favourite games. “As an Asian American, I wanted to experience narratives that represented people like me and to see them depicted as heroes. Overwatch offered an opportunity to bring a more inclusive vision of earth to life: a future worth fighting for,” the writer elaborated.

Directing Overwatch’s narrative was a “life-changing” experience for Chu, and he commended the game’s community for their continued empathy, generosity, and openness. “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,” he explained. He will be bringing these ambitions forth into new opportunities, and hopes to create “inclusive worlds” in the future.

Overwatch is out now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.