Senior Composer Glenn Stafford left Blizzard after 30 years of work
After nearly 30 years of work, Glenn Stafford, a longtime Senior Composer at Blizzard, quietly left the company in July 2024.
He didn’t publicly announce his departure; instead, it was noticed when he edited his LinkedIn profile. According to the update, he moved on to Another Axiom in July, where he joined fellow composer Jason Hayes, who serves as the Audio Director there.
Stafford joined Blizzard in 1993 as a Sound Director, took a brief break in 2005 to work at Sony Online Entertainment and NCSoft, and then returned as Lead Composer from 2007 until July 2024. Throughout his nearly 30-year career at Blizzard, he has contributed to almost every major game the company has released, and his musical compositions have been essential to Blizzard’s iconic soundtracks. In addition to Starcraft, Starcraft II, Warcraft, Warcraft II, Warcraft III, and Hearthstone, he has worked on a wide range of other popular titles, including:
- Diablo (Cinematics, 1996)
- Diablo II (Cinematics, 2000)
- Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (Cinematics, 2001)
- World of Warcraft (2004)
- World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (2008-2009)
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (2010-2011)
- World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (2012-2013)
- Diablo III (2012)
- Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (2014)
- World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor (2014-2015)
- World of Warcraft: Legion (2016-2017)
- World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (2018-2019)
- World of Warcraft: Shadowlands (2020-2021)
- World of Warcraft: Dragonflight (2022-2023)
- World of Warcraft: The War Within (2023-2024)
As you can see, Glenn hasn’t contributed to recent titles such as Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, Warcraft Rumble, and Diablo Immortal. Nonetheless, his work continues to resonate in Blizzard’s legacy and bring joy to millions of players worldwide.
It’s uncertain whether we’ll hear new music from Glenn Stafford in future Blizzard games, but his work will be featured in The War Within since it was recorded before he left. While it’s possible he’s just taking a break and might return to Blizzard, that’s purely speculation. Glenn’s departure is bittersweet, but after 30 years, his legacy is something truly worth celebrating.
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