Vanilla WoW art director Bill Petras has passed away
Bill Petras, the legendary art director behind World of Warcraft and Overwatch, has recently passed away.
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Key takeaways
- Bill Petras was the art director behind World of Warcraft and Overwatch. He was the one who helped shape the visual style of many of Blizzard’s iconic games.
- Petras worked at Blizzard for nearly 20 years.
- In addition to his artistic contributions, Petras also did voiceovers for special content in World of Warcraft.
- Bill Petras is honored with an NPC named after him, Watcher Petras, introduced in patch 1.11.1 of World of Warcraft.
The gaming world is grieving the loss of Bill Petras, a Blizzard Entertainment legend who spent over 20 years shaping the company’s iconic visual style. Bill’s most notable work was as the art director for the original World of Warcraft and the “Titan” project, which later became Overwatch.
About Bill Petras
Bill Petras, real name William Petras, was most recently the Senior Art Director for Overwatch 2. However, his influence at Blizzard goes back much further.
From the original StarCraft, Petras played a key role in shaping the visual style of many of the studio’s games. He created countless iconic illustrations, worked on videos, models, and images, and contributed to visual elements for a wide range of games, including:
- Warcraft
- StarCraft
- Diablo
- Hearthstone
- Heroes of the Storm
- Some projects outside of Blizzard
Petras worked at Blizzard for nearly 20 years, with two significant periods: first from 1997 to 2005, and then again from 2010 to 2021. His career at the company coincided with some of its most pivotal moments, from the launch of World of Warcraft to the transformation of Titan into Overwatch.
Between 2005 and 2010, Petras took on a new challenge, working on the MMO Firefall at Red 5 Studios. Even though he left Blizzard during this time, his influence on game art and design remained. When he returned to Blizzard in 2010, he picked up right where he left off, contributing to some of the company’s most beloved games until his retirement in 2021.
In 2023, Bill Petras took a step into new territory by co-founding a game studio with other former Blizzard employees. However, the studio’s project has yet to be revealed.
Beyond his artwork, Petras was also recognized for his voiceover contributions to Blizzard’s games. His voice can be heard in the collector’s edition of World of Warcraft, where he provided voiceovers for special content.
World of Warcraft – Collectors Edition – Behind the scenes: “Art”
World of Warcraft – Collectors Edition – Behind the scenes: “Environment”
World of Warcraft – Collectors Edition – Behind the scenes: “Dungeons”
A Tribute to Bill Petras in WoW
In World of Warcraft, you can find a humanoid NPC named after Bill Petras—Watcher Petras, a Night Watch. Watcher Petras was introduced in patch 1.11.1 as a tribute to the talented art director.
While Bill Petras may not have sought the spotlight, his work spoke for itself. His contributions to the visual direction of Blizzard’s most beloved games have left a lasting impact on the gaming world. Petras helped craft the immersive worlds that millions of players hold dear. And his legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of game designers and artists.
R.I.P Bill Petras.
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