Over the past couple of years, Blizzard Entertainment has seen many big names leave the company for a multitude of reasons. Recently, World of Warcraft Lead Quest Designer Johnny Cash left the company as well, joining the ranks of former Blizzard developers.

Johnny Cash, not to be confused with the late musical icon, has worked on World of Warcraft for 12 years. After several internships, he was hired on as a full-time employee around 2012, and eventually climbed the ranks to Lead Quest Designer. Cash is a vocal proponent for diversity and inclusivity within World of Warcraft, and served as the events chair for the LGBTQ+ Advisory Council.

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Cash announced his departure in a tweet with a heavy heart. Always a beacon of positivity, he cast love towards all of the people he had the chance to meet during his time at Blizzard, and that he would miss them all. Though he did not have any information about what was next for him, Cash said he would have more announcements about his next endeavors soon.

Several game-changing features and systems in World of Warcraft have Cash’s name next to them. His first claim to fame was the development of the Pet Battle system. In Legion, he was responsible for the class-specific Order Halls and the Artifact Weapon system–two of the most beloved and well-received systems in Warcraft’s history. Both before and during his tenure as Lead Quest Designer, he influenced the design philosophy of zones across Warlords of Draenor, Legion, Battle for Azeroth, and Shadowlands.

The comment section of his announcement exploded with positivity, well-wishes, and of course, Johnny Cash references. Blessings from dozens of former Blizzard co-developers, voice actors, content creators, and fans poured across the page, as sad to see him go as they were happy he was chasing his dreams and moving on to new projects. Though responding to over a hundred comments would be difficult, Cash responded to as many as he could.

That said, a lot of fans are worried to see talent like Cash leaving Blizzard as well. It is no secret World of Warcraft, and Activision Blizzard as a whole, has fallen on hard times due to corruption within Activision Blizzard leadership and unpopular narrative and mechanical decisions in its games. With dozens of former Blizzard developers leaving to start their own game studios, some wonder if they are watching the slow death of the gaming giant. Fans of Blizzard franchises will have to see if the company is able to clean up its act and foster new talent as it has promised, or if it will stumble and find itself unable to get back up.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is available on PC. Eternity's End is currently in development.

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Source: Wowhead