Microsoft names 'Call of Duty' executive Johanna Faries as Blizzard's president

(Reuters) - Microsoft said on Monday it has named former general manager of "Call of Duty" Johanna Faries as the president of game publishing unit Blizzard Entertainment.

Microsoft, which bought Activision Blizzard in a $69 billion deal last year, said insider Matt Cox has taken over the role of senior vice president and general manager of Call of Duty, effective immediately.

Faries, whose appointment is effective Feb. 5, joined Activision Blizzard in 2018 after working for more than a decade at the National Football League (NFL).

Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees at Activision Blizzard and Xbox last week. Mike Ybarra and Allen Adham, who were president and chief design officer, respectively, at Blizzard, also left the company.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)