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.