Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment

Jason Schreier's examination of Blizzard Entertainment traces the company's trajectory from its founding by two UCLA students with a mission to make games they wanted to play, through its growth into an empire with thousands of employees, millions of fans, and billions in revenue. The company, known for classics like Diablo and World of Warcraft, was once celebrated for prioritizing the joy of gaming. The narrative shifts when Blizzard cancelled a major project in 2013, giving Bobby Kotick, CEO of parent company Activision, an opportunity to dismantle Blizzard's autonomy. Activision's increasing control led to glitchy products, public relations failures, significant layoffs, and a major lawsuit that damaged the company's standing and prompted a reckoning. Based on interviews with over 300 current and former employees, the book documents 33 years of Blizzard's history, exploring the creativity, frustration, and betrayal within the organization. It examines the collision between the pursuit of profit and artistic idealism.