PLAY NICE RISE FALL FUTURE OF BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT HC

For video game fans, the name Blizzard Entertainment was once synonymous with perfection. The renowned company behind classics like Diablo and World of Warcraft was known to celebrate the joy of gaming over all else. What was once two UCLA students' simple mission - to make games they wanted to play - launched an empire with thousands of employees, millions of fans, and billions of dollars. But when Blizzard cancelled a buzzy project in 2013, it gave Bobby Kotick, the infamous CEO of corporate parent Activision, the excuse he needed to start cracking down on Blizzard's proud autonomy. Glitchy products, PR disasters, and mass layoffs followed, marring the company's once pristine image. Then, in 2021, a staggering sexual misconduct and discrimination lawsuit against the company triggered a widespread reckoning and a shocking $69 billion acquisition. From previously unrevealed stories of Blizzard's early culture, including fist fights and a hotel ban, to the full story of Titan, Blizzard's most high-profile canceled project, this book explores the delight and despair of what it really means to 'bleed Blizzard blue.'