Justin Thavirat has been working in the video game industry since 1994 when he answered a local job posting at school that read, "Do you like to draw and play video games?  If so, please send your resume and portfolio to Blizzard Entertainment."  Since then Justin has worked as an artist and senior art director at Blizzard Entertainment, contributing to game art, concept art, cinematic art, marketing illustrations, and box covers for many of Blizzard's award winning games in the Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo and World of Warcraft series.

Recently Justin was art director on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, lead artist on Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void, and is currently a senior art department supervisor for Blizzard’s creative development group. Justin’s art has been featured in numerous publications and exhibits including Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  

Justin sits on the Game Developers Conference advisory board and is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the Laguna College of Art and Design for his contributions to the industry and his assistance in establishing a thriving game art major at the school.  When not spending time with his wife and two boys, Justin’s passion is building exceptional art teams, cultivating a collaborative development culture, and empowering artists to achieve something greater than anyone thought possible.