World of Warcraft Narrative Director Quietly Left Blizzard Last Year

gamerant.com:

Former World of Warcraft narrative director Steve Danuser recently confirmed he left Blizzard in November 2023 over remote work concerns, and due to the desire for a change of pace. After months of radio silence from the story dev, World of Warcraft fans finally have an answer on Danuser’s status with the company.

Steve Danuser has been writing stories for World of Warcraft since 2015 as a senior narrative designer, but he became narrative director after the infamous Alex Afrasiabi took his leave in 2020. His hand guided the narrative through the end of Battle for Azeroth, as well as the bulk of Shadowlands and Dragonflight. However, after the return of Chris Metzen as World of Warcraft's creative director in September 2023, little had been heard from Danuser, leading some to wonder if he had left the company. This speculation was further fueled when fans discovered his LinkedIn profile, which indicated he was no longer with Blizzard.

Now, Danuser has confirmed he departed from the company last November, and clarified the reason behind it. Danuser – who lives in Minneapolis-Saint Paul – said his desire to continue remote work was a big reason, considering his distance from the Blizzard campus in Irvine, California. That said, he also left the company due to a growing desire for new scenery. “Wanting to continue working remotely was a factor, as I'm a big believer in the effectiveness of online team collaboration," Danuser told PC Gamer in a recent interview, «But eight years is a long time to work on a single game, and while helping to architect WoW's story direction for the next several years was challenging and rewarding, more and more lately I've felt the itch to stretch my creativity in new directions.»

Though fans are divided on Danuser’s stories, especially from the polarizing Shadowlands expansion, his optimism, leadership, and drive for inclusivity were highlights of his career. He was responsible for introducing Chromie as the first trans character in WoW,