Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Rob Pardo
open-in-new
<h2 id="early-life">Early life</h2> <p>Born on June 9, 1970, in <a href="/facts/Southern_California/1CaAWjd2">southern California</a>, Pardo became interested in <a href="/facts/Game_design/VayxBcbN">game design</a> after serving as <a href="/facts/Dungeon_Master/UFPaJvDT">Dungeon Master</a> for his friends' <a href="/facts/Dungeons_%2526_Dragons/1FQKcQSL"><i>Dungeons & Dragons</i></a> games.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> In a 2014 interview, Pardo reflected that his competitive nature came from being the only child of his similarly competitive father. Dissuaded by the difficulty of becoming a film director, Pardo attended the <a href="/facts/University_of_California%2c_Irvine/gS3nEt3V">University of California, Irvine</a>, intending to become a lawyer.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> However, he joined <a href="/facts/Interplay_Entertainment/pDGdgDjk">Interplay Entertainment</a> after seeing a co-worker at his <a href="/facts/Consumer_electronics_store/djbd38xn">electronics store</a> job apply at the <a href="/facts/Video_game_developer/6gbHyvDu">video game developer</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="blizzard-entertainment">Blizzard Entertainment</h2> <p>After briefly working at Interplay, Pardo was hired by <a href="/facts/Blizzard_Entertainment/aK5GGcN7">Blizzard Entertainment</a> in 1997 because of his skill at <a href="/facts/Real-time_strategy/0xmCAUgz">real-time strategy</a> games.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> After working as a developer on <a href="/facts/StarCraft_(video_game)/FGYVpmR9"><i>StarCraft</i></a>, Pardo was elevated to lead designer of its <a href="/facts/StarCraft%3a_Brood_War/BHKmdI2v"><i>Brood War</i></a> expansion and <a href="/facts/Warcraft_III%3a_Reign_of_Chaos/f6pzu7nu"><i>Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos</i></a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> Next promoted to Vice President of Game Design, Pardo used his experiences playing <i><a href="/facts/EverQuest/WLcx0FmD">EverQuest</a></i> to guide development of <a href="/facts/World_of_Warcraft/GnBM9XmK"><i>World of Warcraft</i></a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> In 2006, he was named on the <a href="/facts/Time_100/12J5tflY">Time 100</a> annual list of influential people, though Blizzard staff criticized <a href="/facts/Time_(magazine)/N4FXc99l"><i>Time</i> magazine</a> for attributing their collective work to a single individual.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p>After the 2005 closure of <a href="/facts/Blizzard_North/fMS2Xnw4">Blizzard North</a> restarted development of <a href="/facts/Diablo_III/WrTLoMdw"><i>Diablo III</i></a>, Pardo recruited Jay Wilson from <a href="/facts/Relic_Entertainment/1mR9lw2f">Relic Entertainment</a> to direct the game. Pardo was also responsible for proposing the game's controversial <a href="/facts/Diablo_III/WrTLoMdw">auction house</a>, which would ultimately be removed in 2014.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>In 2008, Pardo initially supported development of a digital client for the <a href="/facts/World_of_Warcraft_Trading_Card_Game/c1W1Sns2"><i>World of Warcraft Trading Card Game</i></a>, but he reassigned its developers to the <a href="/facts/Battle.net/cP90Lg3e">Battle.net</a> platform the following year. This pause would ultimately prove beneficial to the development of <i><a href="/facts/Hearthstone/Kgf88AQb">Hearthstone</a></i> as a distinct game.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p>After the success of <a href="/facts/World_of_Warcraft/GnBM9XmK"><i>World of Warcraft</i></a>, Pardo began planning for Blizzard's successor <a href="/facts/Massively_multiplayer_online_role-playing_game/s6NMD8fC">MMORPG</a> under the <a href="/facts/Code_name/MRq0mo4b">code name</a> <i><a href="/facts/Titan_(Blizzard_Entertainment_project)/9Q2yJpDD">Titan</a></i>. However, frequent disagreements with lead writer <a href="/facts/Chris_Metzen/3qSMrh5N">Chris Metzen</a> led to <a href="/facts/Development_hell/6lLPVoU5">development hell</a> with staff divided between incompatible visions. In 2013, Pardo was named <a href="/facts/Chief_creative_officer/dJauSkg6">Chief Creative Officer</a>, and he used this new authority to reboot development of <i>Titan</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> On July 3, 2014, Pardo left Blizzard, partially under pressure from Blizzard CEO <a href="/facts/Michael_Morhaime/0Hl3NK6Q">Michael Morhaime</a> to resign.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> Despite criticism of Pardo's leadership, the <i>Titan</i> project would ultimately be reworked into the <a href="/facts/Hero_shooter/sFcb1pC4">hero shooter</a> <i><a href="/facts/Overwatch_(video_game)/KjfuwewL">Overwatch</a></i> under the supervision of <a href="/facts/Jeff_Kaplan/zeruL8up">Jeff Kaplan</a>, who Pardo had recruited.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> Pardo met Kaplan through their <i><a href="/facts/EverQuest/WLcx0FmD">EverQuest</a></i> guild, Legacy of Steel, which was well-known for its world-first completions, and he initially hired Kaplan as a <i>World of Warcraft</i> quest designer.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="later-work">Later work</h2> <p>In 2016, Pardo founded <a href="/facts/Bonfire_Studios/XBG9s7h9">Bonfire Studios</a> and raised $25 million in funding from <a href="/facts/Venture_capital/yeH3m7zo">venture capital</a> firm <a href="/facts/Andreessen_Horowitz/cQNASC0T">Andreessen Horowitz</a> and video game developer <a href="/facts/Riot_Games/Nr5RkdeX">Riot Games</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> In December 2021, Pardo invested in Bright Star Studios, which developed the <a href="/facts/Massively_multiplayer_online_role-playing_game/s6NMD8fC">MMORPG</a> <i><a href="/facts/Ember_Sword/jvH16zUC">Ember Sword</a></i> until its cancelation in May 2025.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rob Pardo. <ul><li><a href="http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/world-of-warcraft/568494p1.html">2004 GameSpy interview with Pardo on <i>World of Warcraft</i></a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Schreier, Jason (October 2024). Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York City: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 47, 157–159, 162, 179–183, 195–206. ISBN 9781538725429. <a href="9781538725429" target="_blank">9781538725429</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Soren Johnson (30 October 2014). "Rob Pardo - Part 1". Designer Notes (Podcast). Idle Thumbs. Retrieved 10 March 2025. <a href="/wiki/Soren_Johnson" target="_blank">/wiki/Soren_Johnson</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Schreier, Jason (October 2024). Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York City: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 47, 157–159, 162, 179–183, 195–206. ISBN 9781538725429. <a href="9781538725429" target="_blank">9781538725429</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Schreier, Jason (October 2024). Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York City: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 47, 157–159, 162, 179–183, 195–206. ISBN 9781538725429. <a href="9781538725429" target="_blank">9781538725429</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Peterson, Steve (October 3, 2012). "Game Industry Legends: Rob Pardo". GamesIndustry International. Retrieved December 11, 2012. <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-10-02-game-industry-legends-rob-pardo" target="_blank">http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-10-02-game-industry-legends-rob-pardo</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Welsh, Oli (4 July 2014). "Rob Pardo's legacy of steel". Eurogamer. Retrieved 10 March 2025. <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/rob-pardos-legacy-of-steel" target="_blank">https://www.eurogamer.net/rob-pardos-legacy-of-steel</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Schreier, Jason (October 2024). Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York City: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 47, 157–159, 162, 179–183, 195–206. ISBN 9781538725429. <a href="9781538725429" target="_blank">9781538725429</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Grossman, Lev (April 30, 2006). "Rob Pardo - Architect of Virtual Worlds". Time. Archived from the original on May 13, 2006. Retrieved May 2, 2006. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060513224548/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187331,00.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20060513224548/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187331,00.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Schreier, Jason (October 2024). Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York City: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 47, 157–159, 162, 179–183, 195–206. ISBN 9781538725429. <a href="9781538725429" target="_blank">9781538725429</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Schreier, Jason (October 2024). Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York City: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 47, 157–159, 162, 179–183, 195–206. ISBN 9781538725429. <a href="9781538725429" target="_blank">9781538725429</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Schreier, Jason (October 2024). Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York City: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 47, 157–159, 162, 179–183, 195–206. ISBN 9781538725429. <a href="9781538725429" target="_blank">9781538725429</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>McWhertor, Michael (3 July 2014). "Blizzard's chief creative officer Rob Pardo leaves after 17 years". Polygon. Retrieved 10 March 2025. <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2014/7/3/5868499/blizzard-rob-pardo-leaves-blizzard-entertainment" target="_blank">https://www.polygon.com/2014/7/3/5868499/blizzard-rob-pardo-leaves-blizzard-entertainment</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Schreier, Jason (October 2024). Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. New York City: Grand Central Publishing. pp. 47, 157–159, 162, 179–183, 195–206. ISBN 9781538725429. <a href="9781538725429" target="_blank">9781538725429</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Tack, Daniel (March 30, 2016). "From Guild Leader to Game Director Part 1: Landing A Job At Blizzard". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2017. <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/03/30/from-guild-leader-to-game-director-pt-1-landing-a-job-at-blizzard.aspx" target="_blank">https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/03/30/from-guild-leader-to-game-director-pt-1-landing-a-job-at-blizzard.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Wingfield, Nick (September 11, 2016). "A New Phase for World of Warcraft's Lead Designer: His Own Start-Up". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 10, 2019. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/12/technology/a-new-phase-for-world-of-warcrafts-lead-designer-his-own-start-up.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/12/technology/a-new-phase-for-world-of-warcrafts-lead-designer-his-own-start-up.html</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Takahashi, Dean (October 14, 2017). "Game boss interview: Rob Pardo says playtesting is critical to game design". VentureBeat. Retrieved January 10, 2019. <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2017/10/14/game-boss-interview-rob-pardo-says-playtesting-is-critical-to-game-design/" target="_blank">https://venturebeat.com/2017/10/14/game-boss-interview-rob-pardo-says-playtesting-is-critical-to-game-design/</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Kaser, Rachel (December 6, 2021). "Bright Star Studios attracts new investors following in-game land sale". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2024. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20221203201242/https://venturebeat.com/games/bright-star-studios-attracts-new-investors-following-in-game-land-sale/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20221203201242/https://venturebeat.com/games/bright-star-studios-attracts-new-investors-following-in-game-land-sale/</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Muchai, Florence (May 23, 2025). "Ethereum's 'Ember Sword' shuts down, leaving investors in disarray". MSN. Archived from the original on May 23, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2025. <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/technology/ethereum-s-ember-sword-shuts-down-leaving-investors-in-disarray/ar-AA1Fl0SI?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds" target="_blank">https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/technology/ethereum-s-ember-sword-shuts-down-leaving-investors-in-disarray/ar-AA1Fl0SI?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>