David Brevik | |
|---|---|
 Brevik atGDC 2016 | |
| Born | (1968-02-14)February 14, 1968 (age 57) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Notable work | Diablo |
David Brevik (born February 14, 1968) is an Americanvideo game designer,producer, andprogrammer who served as the co-founder and president ofBlizzard North. He is best known for the critically acclaimedDiablo series. Currently, he serves as game designer and founder of hisindependent studio, Graybeard Games.
Brevik was born inMadison, Wisconsin, on February 14, 1968.[1] His family moved from Wisconsin toGeorgia and then toCalifornia during his childhood. Blind in one eye, Brevik decided his lack ofdepth perception would makeprofessional sports too difficult, so he focused on his talent forprogramming.[2] He studiedcomputer science atCalifornia State University, Chico from 1986 to 1991.
After graduating, Brevik worked at theclip art company FM Waves. Upon the company's bankruptcy, Brevik left to become lead technical director atIguana Entertainment. In September 1993, he formed the video game development studio Condor with his FM Waves colleagues, brothers Max and Erich Schaefer.[2]
The publisherSunsoft, already familiar with Brevik's work, immediately reached out to have Condor developNFL Quarterback Club,Justice League Task Force, andNFL Quarterback Club 96. When presenting Condor's work developingJustice League Task Force for theSega Genesis at the 1994CES trade show, Brevik metAllen Adham ofBlizzard Entertainment, who had overseen the game's development for theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System.[2]
In January 1995, Brevik pitched his originalaction role-playingvideo game,Diablo, to Blizzard executives. The game was named after theMount Diablo mountain near his childhood home in California. Blizzard initially agreed to publish the game, but by March 1996, it had outright acquired Condor, renaming the studio asBlizzard North. Under pressure from Blizzard, Brevik changed Diablo fromturn-based toreal-time combat, includedmultiplayer using Blizzard'sBattle.net platform, and removedpermadeath.[2]GameSpot named Brevik as 1996's fourth most influential person in computer gaming for his role in the inception and development ofDiablo.[3]
In June 2003, Blizzard North executivesBill Roper, Max Schaefer, Erich Schaefer, and Brevik emailed Blizzard Entertainment's then-parent company,Vivendi Games, threatening to resign unless provided financial protections and communication on Vivendi's intent to sell Blizzard. Vivendi accepted their resignations effective immediately, spurring them to foundFlagship Studios and recruit similarly disgruntled Blizzard North employees.[2] Blizzard North was ultimately shut down two years later to consolidate Blizzard's staff inIrvine, California.[4]
In an interview coinciding with the console release ofDiablo III, Brevik criticized Blizzard for over-emphasizing the game's narrative, modifying itsloot system, and implementing a controversialauction house in this first entry developed outside Blizzard North.[5] On aFacebook post discussing Brevik's comments,Diablo III lead designer,Jay Wilson, commented "fuck that loser," prompting death threats against Wilson for supposedly corrupting the series.[2][6]
After Brevik resigned from Blizzard, he foundedFlagship Studios in 2003 and its sister company, Ping0 in 2006. Once Flagship Studios dissolved in August 2008, Brevik was appointed as creative director for Turbine Inc. (nowWB Games Boston) amid itsWest Coast expansion.
In 2009, David Brevik joined Gazillion Entertainment as its creative director.[7] In 2011, the company's Gargantuan Studio became Secret Identity Studios, and David Brevik was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Gazillion Entertainment.[8] In January 2016, he left the company to enterindie game development.[9] As of October 18, 2016, Brevik has been working as an advisor on the Chinese release ofPath of Exile for Grinding Gear Games.[10]
After leaving Gazillion, Brevik founded anindie studio called Graybeard Games. In May of 2019, Graybeard Games released an action role-playing video game titledIt Lurks Below.[11]
In 2016, Brevik revealed that he was approached bySabeer Bhatia in 1996 to form anemail company, in which he would get 10% of the shares. Brevik flatly rejected the offer, thinking it was the "stupidest idea." 14 months later, when the company, later known asHotmail, sold for $400 million, Brevik expressed his regret over that decision, calling it the "worst business decision of my entire career."[12]
Brevik and Bill Wang, a former employee ofPerfect World Entertainment, announced the formation of Skystone Games in May 2020, a publishing and development studio aimed to help smaller indie studios with multi-platform releases.[13]
Brevik has attributed thecrunch culture while developingDiablo II to the end of his marriage and damage to his relationship with his two eldest daughters. After the 2021California Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. Activision Blizzard lawsuit prompted review of Blizzard Entertainment's culture ofsexual misconduct, Brevik was criticized for dating and eventually marrying a female Blizzard programmer after his divorce. During this period, multiple Blizzard executives were denounced for having relationships with their subordinates.[2]
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