After eight years with the company, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg is stepping down this March. Hirshberg made the announcement in an official statement, expressing gratitude towards Activision for his time there and thanks to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick for the opportunity and support.

Most may not recognize Hirshberg’s name but chances are they have seen his face. He made numerous appearances during E3 press conferences and special events, premiering new gameplay footage for tons of Activision titles. Hirshberg typically welcomed the Call of Duty fans during premiere events like Call of Duty XP, and was known not to mince words when it came to critiquing Activision’s successes and failures.

Obviously, a lot of the questions surrounding Hirshberg’s departure will be focused on whether he chose to leave or if he was "encouraged to leave". Activision is a juggernaut in the video game world thanks to Call of Duty, Destiny, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, but it has seen some slips in terms of public perception in the last few years.

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Specifically, the Call of Duty brand, despite continued strong sales, has lost some of its luster in the eyes of fans. There was a resurgence thanks to Call of Duty: WW2 and its return to boots on the ground, but there is still a general sense that the franchise has fallen off from where it was when Modern Warfare first launched in 2007.

By no means is Hirshberg to blame for Call of Duty’s change in direction and fans’ disappointment with the series, but typically people in his position bear the brunt of the blame when things don’t work out. Of course, Hirshberg was also in charge while Activision experienced a period of great growth, with the launch of numerous successful Call of Duty franchise entries and the debut of Destiny, another major sales juggernaut.

Activision says it is looking for a replacement for Hirshberg but whoever steps in will be facing a tough task. Although Call of Duty and Destiny are still capable of generating millions in sales, both game series’ communities are frustrated with the directions of their latest games. Hirshberg’s replacement will need to help assure those fan bases that Activision has their best interests at heart.

Source: Venture Beat