Summary
After a career that spanned 32 years,Blizzardsenior art director Sam “Samwise” Didier announced his retirement from the company. The announcement from Didier came just over a week after BlizzCon 2023, which sawthe reveal ofWorld of Warcraft: The War Within, andDiablo 4: Vessel of Hatred.
During his time with Blizzard, Didier was credited for naming theWarcraftfranchise, and for developing a distinct art style that was used in various promotional materials for Blizzard’s IPs. One of Didier’s first contributions was as an artist forRock n' Roll Racingfor the SNES, which saw Didier develop and reveal his art style to players around the world. Over the years, Didier’s designs of Blizzard’s iconic characters, such as Arthas Menethil and Thrall made him an iconic figure with Blizzard fans. However, Didier’s creation of the Pandaren race in theWarcraftseries, which served asthe focus of theMists of Pandariaexpansion, received a mixed response. Didier was also the lead vocalist for Elite Tauren Chieftain (ETC), a rock band formed of various Blizzard employees who performed original songs and parodies based onWorld of Warcraft.
Didier’s last performance as part of ETC took place at BlizzCon 2014, in which the band opened for Metallica during the convention’s closing ceremony. Since then, Didier has continued to work as an artist and illustrator for various short stories and novels, including an original work calledGrimbeard: Tales of the Last Dwarf. After 32 years on the job, Didier announced his retirement, which was effective immediately. Didier looked back on his time atBlizzard, which started in 1991 during the company’s early days as Silicon & Synapse.
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 computer (I only 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 to see my art come to life!
Didier closed his announcement by encouraging theWorld of Warcraftart team to “always draw big shoulder pads” as he once did. Didier’s retirement was met with admiration and congratulations from his peers on social media.Blizzard President Mike Ybarrathanked Didier and said that his talents have helped build Blizzard’s art style into what it is today, and said that his contributions have left a mark on other artists who have learned from him since.
In the replies, Blizzard fans wished Didier the best in his retirement, with many looking forward to his future endeavors. While other former Blizzard staffers have gone on to form different studios, includingformerWoWdevs forming Fantastic Pixel Castle, it remains to be seen what Didier’s future plans are.
