world of Warcraft Will turn 20 next year, while the franchise will celebrate its 30-year anniversary in 2024. Before those big milestones, Blizzard showed off big with Warcraft at BlizzCon 2023. It launched a new mobile game, which was imminent world of warcraft classic And stove updated, and announced three new world of Warcraft expansion that will be made The Worldsoul Saga, For franchise general manager John Hight, the series’ strong performance was about showing players that Blizzard is doubling down on Warcraft.
“We wanted to let our players know that we are doubling [World of Warcraft’s] Story. A lot of our players have told us in the last two expansions that the story is very important,” Hight told in an interview at BlizzCon 2023. “It’s different for us at Blizzard because normally we’re a little secretive, But we felt like our fans were telling us that they wanted to know more about what was coming for them. It is difficult to weave it in such a way that we do not spoil it.
talks to Haight at BlizzCon 2023 warcraft thunder Executive producer Vic Saraf on what the future of Warcraft looks like. Both of them made it clear that Warcraft shows no signs of slowing down in the MMO, mobile, and even RTS space. In fact, Height explains the digital trends he wants to achieve world of Warcraft Expansion happens rapidly.
Creation of Worldsoul Saga
Over the next several years, the things most relevant to the most hardcore world of Warcraft players will be new expansionists who create The Worldsoul Saga: The War Within, MidnightAnd The Last Titan, Haight explains why this story needs to be told in three expansions, not just one expansion, as it unfolds world of warcraft Twentieth anniversary.
,[Executive Creative Director Chris] Metzen and the story team had this incredible idea, and it all evolved around the upcoming twentieth anniversary. What story can we tell that is worthy of 20 years of operation?” Height explained. “There is no way the story can fit into a single expanse. The idea of doing it as a trilogy came forward because it involved a conflict, a resolution, a change, and then a big payoff at the end.
world of Warcraft It’s been steadily expanding since its launch in 2004, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon as Blizzard offers a lavish payday for a story that’s been in the making for over two decades. Height clarified a pending question about its outcome The Worldsoul Saga: “This is not the end world of Warcraft, This is the end of this big chapter. “We will continue to expand beyond this.”
As far as when to expect them specifically The Worldsoul Saga Expansion, the war Within The only one with a release window (2024). We asked Haight if players should expect to wait up to two years for the remaining expansions The Worldsoul Saga. Although he could not yet commit to specific release windows for those latter two expansions, he explained that a number of production improvements have been made in recent years to allow Blizzard to deliver quality content at a predictable rate, and They expect this rate to increase even faster. For longer periods of time.
“The ultimate goal for us is to be able to deliver content in a predictable manner so that players know when to expect the next expansion,” Haight said. “We would like to do this more often, we really don’t want people to have to wait two years for the next expansion. We’re not ready yet for what that rhythm will be because we have to find that sweet spot between our ability, how much time we think we need and when our players start to signal when they’re ready. Explain.”
world of Warcraft The developers shared this sentiment in a separate group Q&A involving , where Associate Design Director Maria Hamilton confirmed that content for the In the World Soul Saga expansion is being worked on in parallel. Before all that, there’s also the matter of the twentieth anniversary celebration. As for how Blizzard will celebrate those important anniversaries next year, Haight would only say this in regards to the MMO: “We do something for every anniversary – there will probably be something this year – but you’ll be on top of it. Can expect to happen next year.”
Building Warcraft to Last Long
Of course, Warcraft is much more than just the latest expansion for the main MMO. there is throwback world of warcraft classicWhich is introducing new seasons and even re-releasing it Holocaust Expansion. On mobile, there is stove, which will be getting an expansion this month and a pair of Battlegrounds editions next year. then there is Warcraft 3: Remastered, “We’ve done a lot of work to appease that community. I think they’re in a good place right now,” Hite tells us about the game, which had a rocky launch. And now, there is Warcraft rumble.
The game launched after originating from an incubation team within the larger pool world of Warcraft Developers. Hight and Saraf explained how they want Warcraft to always “be where the players are” and how mobile could be an attractive entry point for many players. Still, they wanted the game to be its own thing and feel tailored for mobile. Early user reviews for Warcraft Rumble on iOS and Android seem to be positive, and Blizzard is eager to build on that success and keep the game going for a long time. stove Even more world of Warcraft passed
“Blizzard is known for making games that last forever,” Saraf told . “This is what we also want to become. you look at world of Warcraftabout twenty years; stove, about 10 years. Seeing these older siblings essentially have games that will last them longer is really an inspiration for us to aim for the same. We’re very fortunate that we have a very active, engaged and committed community that makes this very easy for us, but our work is just getting started. We want to make sure that we’re giving the fans what they want and are able to breathe new life into the game so that it remains relevant and entertaining for them for years to come.
That means warcraft thunder It should be in full swing next year when those important anniversaries arrive. Saraf says there are “active discussions” happening, but Blizzard is still “consolidating those plans.” warcraft thunder Post-launch, the interplay between these Warcraft games is explored, and we get closer to the actual anniversary. at the very least, warcraft thunder It’s somewhat of a cliché for the franchise as a real-time strategy game, so I asked Hight what he thinks the future of strategy-based Warcraft games holds.
“I like strategy games. Many years ago when I was a game director, I was a game director and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2,Haight explained. “I play every style of game. I like warcraft. The story and characters are unique, it’s fun, it has humor, it has danger, and it is fantasy! I think we have the ability to do all types of games, as we’ve seen with RTS, then MMO, then CCG. stoveand now warcraft thunder,
Warcraft dominated BlizzCon 2023 with plenty of reveals and the most impressive show floor, and my chat with some of the developers behind it confirmed that Blizzard isn’t planning on slowing down with Warcraft anytime soon. Hite believes he is laying the foundation for future developers following in the footsteps of companies like Disney.
“I tell our teams that we are the caretakers of the universe. If we’ve done our job correctly, we’re handing it over to the next generation of developers, and they’ll take it forward. I look at Disney as a model for us. We must create that universe; We should take adequate care behind this. Same thing with Marvel, it started in the 1930s as comic books and look where it is today. As long as we are thoughtful and careful and lay the groundwork, future talents will be able to step in and take it even further. There will be new devices, new forms of entertainment, new ways for people to come together and enjoy this universe.”
Disclosure: Blizzard Entertainment and PR agency TriplePoint paid for accommodations so could attend BlizzCon 2023.
