In a blog post announcing his departure, he said that he "wanted to experience narratives that represented people like [him] and to see them depicted as heroes" as an Asian-American. Overwatch, he said, "offered an opportunity to bring a more inclusive vision of Earth to life: a future worth fighting for." Some of the pieces he wrote, for instance, revealed Overwatch characters' sexualities. He also touted the games' power to break barriers and bring people from various cultures together, as well as their ability to inspire players to visit places they see in-game.

It's unclear if his departure will affect Overwatch 2's release. A Blizzard spokesperson only told Polygon:

"Michael's contributions to the games and stories of the Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch universes have been a source of inspiration, and we will always be thankful for the time he spent at Blizzard. We wish him the best for the future."