WoW and Overwatch designer Scott Mercer leaves Blizzard after 26 years

Veteran game designer Scott Mercer has announced his retirement after working at Blizzard for more than two decades. He contributed to the studio’s key franchises.

Scott Mercer, Image: Gamereactor

Scott Mercer shared the news on Twitter, saying that he had retired as a game designer at Blizzard. “Had a great run working on so many cool games with so many great people over that time,” he wrote.

Mercer also noted that he will now focus on improving his physical and mental health.

I’ve retired after 26 years as a game designer at Blizzard. Had a great run working on so many cool games with so many great people over that time.
Now I’m moving on to the new phase of my life where I devote my time and energy to improving my health, both physical and mental.

— Scott Mercer (@GScottM) June 19, 2023

• In 1997, Mercer joined Blizzard as a tester on the first StarCraft. He then was part of the level design team on StarCraft: Brood War and worked on game balance for Diablo II.
• He also contributed to the game design of WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos and Frozen Throne. His involvement in the franchise later developed into a long-term work on World of Warcraft.
• Mercer served as a lead encounter designer on expansions such as Wrath of the Litch King, Cataclysm, and Warlords of Draenor.
• He also contributed to other Blizzard games like StarCraft II and Heroes of the Storm, and also helped design Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.
• In the past years, he has been largely involved in the development of Overwatch and its sequel, where he served as its game / systems designer and worked on the implementation of many characters.