After last year's high-profile departure of Mike Morhaime, co-founder and president of Blizzard, comes news of another of the studio's three founders stepping down - with Frank Pearce leaving the company after founding the gaming giant 28 years ago with Morhaime and Allen Adham.

Adham who left after the release of World of Warcraft re-joined the company in 2016 where he now oversees the development of new projects. The announcement came via a joint statement from both Frank Pearce and president J. Allen Brack.

Frank's message is heartfelt.

My time at Blizzard encompasses the entirety of both my professional career and my adult life. I have countless fond memories. Working with the best developers in the world on the best franchises in the world definitively stands out. Even more prominent are my memories of our first BlizzCon where I realized the special importance of the people and communities that had become part of the experience for our players.

Whilst hinting at his future plans, and possible retirement.

I have been lucky enough to work with J and Ray for many years, and now it is their responsibility to define how the adventure continues. They are game development leaders that are incredibly talented, experienced, and truly understand what is foundationally most important for Blizzard and our community. I know that the future of Blizzard will be amazing under their guidance. There are many exciting initiatives in the works, and I can’t wait to see the end results.

Everything I have done at Blizzard has been driven by my passion. I have worked very hard and very passionately for a very long time. Now it is time for me to reflect and be thoughtful about what comes next. I plan to spend more time active in the outdoors. I’d like to learn to play an instrument. I hope to devote more time to aspects of my life that may not have gotten as much attention in the past. One thing is for certain – I will continue to be a part of the Blizzard family.

With J. Allen Brack adding that his departure is one of sadness.

The time has come to say goodbye to one of my heroes, one of our founders, as well as one of our friends. When I moved into my new position last year, Frank stepped into an advisory role to help with the transition, specifically working with Ray Gresko and me on our games, culture, and the future of Blizzard. His support has been invaluable to us and to say we’re going to miss him is an understatement.

Recently the future of Blizzard has been brought into question after a series of lay-offs, departures, and restructuring in an attempt to bring Activision Blizzard closer together as a single company. Here's hoping today's news is merely a measure of timing and not indicative of larger problems.