One of Blizzard's most influential talents is bidding farewell after 32 years with the company. Samwise Didier announced on X/Twitter on Friday that he is retiring after a career that includes serving as art director on Diablo, Starcraft, and a host of other iconic games.
What lies beyond the storm? pic.twitter.com/iQh9B2DLBZ
— Sam Are I (@SamwiseDidier) November 10, 2023
Didier posted the following message announcing his retirement:
Today is a huge day for me and I wanted to share the news with you all. I am retiring from my beloved Blizzard Entertainment, and today will be my last day. Now most kids I know move out of the home when they are 18, (well, maybe not these days). For me, it took me damn near double that! It is inspiring and intimidating all at the same time.
Blizzard was never just a job for me. I joined the company in 1991 and it immediately became my second home. I found out I had family that I didn't even know I had! I grew up there. I learned almost everything I know about art there. I learned how to use a company (I know knew Atari 2600 and Nintendo), I learned how to use Photoshop, I learned how to create UI and make thousands of buttons. I learned how to create 3D models of my art, how to texture and animate them, and even make them shoot fireballs or lasers. I got see my art come to life! Hell, I even joined my first band at Blizzard. And to top it all off, I got to work on some of the greatest games this here ol' world has ever known. Thank you Blizzard, for everything.
Didier finished by exhorting Blizzard to "always draw big shoulder pads."
His retirement follows a tenture that began back in 1991, when the company was founded as Silicon & Synapse. He went on to have a hand in virtually every major Blizzard game ever made, from Blackthorne and The Lost Vikings to Starcraft 2. He is credited as part of the "Blizzard Development Family" in the more recent Diablo IV and Overwatch 2.
Didier was particularly well-known for his enthusiasm for pandas, leading to the creation of Pandarens in the Warcraft universe. He also served as the frontman of Level 60 Elite Tauren Chieftain, a band of Blizzard employees who would play at BlizzCon. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra was among those who paid tribute to Didier following his announcement.
Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for Blizzard, Sammy! Your talent helped build Blizzard’s signature art style, and I know many of our artists have learned so much from you over the years. Thanks for what you did for them, and for gamers and artists everywhere.…
— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) November 10, 2023
"Your talent helped build Blizzard's signature art style, and I know many of our artists have learned so much from you over the years. Thanks for what you did for them, and for gamers and artists everywhere," Ybarra wrote.
Didier's departure reflects a Blizzard in a state of transition as it charts a path forward under Xbox, as well as the studio's long history and the loyalty that it has engendered from its longest-serving employees. Its upcoming projects include multiple expansions for World of Warcraft and Diablo IV.
For more, check out our coverage of BlizzCon 2023, which took place in early November.
Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
