Mike Morhaime, President of Blizzard Entertainment, makers of World of Warcraft, announced on Wednesday he is stepping down from his position after 27 years with the company.

In a letter posted to Blizzard's website, Morhaime stated his intent to step aside and take on an advisory role. J. Allen Brack, who executive produced WOW, will be his replacement.

On his departure, Morhaime wrote, "After many years of working with some of the industry’s most talented people to create games and worlds for you to play in, I've decided it's time for someone else to lead Blizzard Entertainment."

Morhaime shared high praise of Brack as his successor, calling him an "inspiring leader" as well as committed and "unwavering." "I couldn't be happier for J. and know that Blizzard will continue to make great games with him at the helm." He complimented Brack's work on WOW which he called "unprecedented," emphasizing the creativity and commitment to quality Brack and his development team had.

Brack shared similar sentiments about Morhaime in a post of his own. "I feel a deep sense of gratitude to Mike," he wrote. "His work on some of our industry’s most iconic games is the reason I came to Blizzard.

"Not only is he an inspiring leader, but he’s also been a wise and patient mentor to me during my time at Blizzard," Brack continued. "And he’s been a good friend."

Morhaime had been with Blizzard since its founding as Silicon & Synapse. The company became one of the biggest and most recognizable developers in the industry during his time in charge. In those 27 years, they created popular franchises such as Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch.

In their early days, Blizzard also developed games for DC Comics like Justice League Task Force and The Death and Return of Superman.

Via Gamespot