It’s one thing to be awarded for doing your job, but none do it like Blizzard. Every year, Blizzard celebrates the five, ten, or even fifteen year milestone of some of its employees and these honored workers don’t just get some gift card to some fancy restaurant. They’re celebrated at something called the “Sword and Shield” ceremony, where these loyal workers are awarded with a sword, a shield, or a ring, all custom made, depending on their service.

This year was the first time Blizzard could ever celebrate a twenty-year milestone since its launch back in 1991. These few and proud get the pièce de résistance. Sources inside Blizzard can confirm that it’s a crown and I’m sure it’s fabulous. It probably has emeralds, diamonds, and lost souls in it, but that’s for them to know and us to find out. I wonder if they go to work wearing it…

As for us here at GameGeex, we’ll just have to settle for our monthly dinner. But hey, maybe one day we’ll all get a pair of geeky shades or a golden pocket protector for whatever it is we write-up about. If you want to see some examples of the pieces of combat artistry that adorn the walls of some of the Blizzard employees, click the jump, or check out their website for more.