Blizzard has broken up with its Battle.net branding. An update, which users first noticed late Friday night, has changed the multiplayer client’s former logo into something that’s more familiar: Blizzard Entertainment. The company did say something about the change in September last year – safely using the term “transitioning away” from the name. Apparently, it’s still such a blow for devotees of the site and somehow caused separation anxiety, which makes sense.
Battle.net is no more
"Over time, though, we’ve seen that there’s been occasional confusion and inefficiencies related to having two separate identities under which everything falls — Blizzard and Battle.net,” the company posted on its blog.
Blizzard is pretty much synonymous with its multiplayer system since its launch in the 90’s. For longtime fans, the recent change is by far the most heartbreaking step toward the transition. After the automatic update, fans took to social media to report that no sign of the previous logo could be seen. Instead, what greeted them was that of the icon for, well, Blizzard.
No system changes, says Blizzard
Launched in 1996 alongside the original “Diablo,” Battle.net saw an immense growth when Blizzard’s list of titles was expanded. Upon the launch of “Starcraft” and “World of Warcraft,” the multiplayer client became an integral feature for fans of Blizzard. Even “Overwatch” fans are saddened over the change; however, the company said that the client still works at it is.
“I know it really doesn't matter and I shouldn't care but it's sad to see battle.net go,” one user wrote on Reddit. Many fans have echoed the same things, saying that the former logo holds such sentimental value.
What’s funny is that the original URL still works, as if Blizzard itself hasn’t fully gotten over the transition.
Like the company said, the service still works the same, so players can start creating new memories from there.
The Battle.net logo was launched more than two decades ago, so really, the wailing is pretty reasonable. The service paved the way to the whole online gaming movement. The name change is a minor thing, but veterans know that it’ll take time to get used to.
