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4w ago

Veteran Game Developer Bill Petras, Art Director for World of Warcraft and Overwatch, Dies Unexpectedly

The gaming community mourns the loss of Bill Petras, whose creative vision helped shape Blizzard Entertainment's most iconic titles over a career spanning more than two decades.

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Overview

  • Bill Petras, a veteran game developer and art director, passed away unexpectedly, as announced by his close friend and former Blizzard colleague Harley D. Huggins on LinkedIn.
  • Petras was instrumental in defining the visual identity of Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft during its 2004 launch and Overwatch, which debuted in 2016.
  • His career began in the early 1990s, contributing to games like BloodNet and Star Crusader, before joining Blizzard in 1997 to work on StarCraft and other notable titles.
  • After leaving Blizzard in 2005 to co-found Red 5 Studios and work on Firefall, he returned in 2010 to lead the art direction for Overwatch, emerging from the canceled Titan project.
  • A celebration of life is being organized in the coming days to honor Petras' legacy and his profound impact on the gaming industry and his colleagues.