Pet Playground: Animals at the Blizzard Campus
Pets are an important part of our lives, and, at Blizzard, they’re also a unique and treasured part of our workplace culture. While plenty of research supports the benefits of working alongside our pets—stress relief, increased cooperation, faster work—we also just like being around them! Pets can be found nearly everywhere at our Irvine office: at people’s desks, in meetings, and hanging out by the giant orc statue in the center of campus.
I'm always surprised by how so many people on campus know my dog's name! I’m not sure how he became so popular, but maybe one day he will climb the corporate ladder and counsel our game directors on the big decisions.
What types of pets?
There are over 750 pets registered at Blizzard. Roughly 50% of these registered critters—mainly dogs—are regularly on campus... but owners have registered a few other animals, too!
| Dogs | Cats | Bunnies | Turtles | Fish (Aquariums) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pet Count | 704 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
Pets help bring us together
Corgis are nearly tied with terriers for the most popular dog at Blizzard (74 corgis v 73 terriers), and you might’ve seen our love for corgis expressed in World of Warcraft. On campus, corgi owners often coordinate get-togethers—there are even half-siblings and cousins who have pup-sized family reunions at work. Two corgis on the Overwatch web team are known to longingly look at each other, waiting for their owners to take breaks so they can play.
Basic Rules
Customized Pet Tags
Every registered pet gets an official Blizzard pet tag. Pet owners can choose a side to support: Alliance or Horde!
Blizzard has guidelines in place to make sure pets don’t get in the way or bother our employees. Pets must be registered, the workspace must be suitable for them, and colleagues in the area must be comfortable around them. All pets need to be properly licensed and vaccinated, must not demonstrate unacceptable behaviors, and are restricted from visiting certain areas, like kitchens and the cafe.
Registered pets are also asked to place their pawprint on an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) and refrain from passing along information about any secret games Blizzard is working on.
| Horde | Alliance | |
|---|---|---|
| Tag Choice | 462 | 289 |
Dogs
Here is the breakdown of the most popular dog breeds along with some photos. You can check out more of the Blizzard dogs at Packdogs.com
| Dog Breed | Number |
|---|---|
| other/mix | 280 |
| corgi | 75 |
| terrier | 73 |
| Labrador retriever | 66 |
| Chihuahua | 44 |
| poodle | 39 |
| shiba inu | 25 |
| bulldog | 22 |
| pomeranian | 20 |
| dachshund | 19 |
| pug | 18 |
| shi tzu | 16 |
| greyhound | 14 |
| boxers | 13 |
| golden retriever | 9 |
| schnauzer | 8 |
Cats
A few employees bring their cats to work, and let everyone know the cat is in for the day, so each cuddly feline can receive visitors. Some of the cats required extra training so that they remain on the desk or wait patiently in a cat carrier without wandering around. Others use leashes. Their training's very impressive!
More Pets
MR. BIGGENS—PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI
He sleeps too much here...part-timer.
RUSSELL—PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI
Being able to spend all day with my buddy Russell is the icing on the cake when it comes to working at Blizzard. He's been adopted by all the engineers who sit around me, and he is now the official World of Warcraft Tools Engineering pup.
ZEUS—F3 SAVANNAH CAT
Zeus loves to swim, prefers sleeping under blankets, and enjoys eating waffles. He has been featured on the Animal Planet show "My Cat From Hell" (he’s not a hellcat) with Jackson Galaxy, and even appeared in a US Weekly article.
One time, at Blizzard, the external internet went out. Most of the nearby dog owners decided that was the perfect time to take their dogs outside for a break. A big dog party developed in the center grass area between multiple buildings while we were waiting for word that the internet was restored!
- Geoff Fraizer, Editor
We can't imagine life at Blizzard without pets.
It’s hard to go anywhere around the Blizzard campus without seeing a pet. Whether they're a huge part of our lives, whether they’re a welcome visitor, or whether we’re an impartial viewer, we know that these pets are doing a service as they help us create epic experiences. Thank you, Blizzard pets, for all that you do for us!