In 2016, the collaboration between Universal and Activision Blizzard brought the movie Warcraft to the big screen, based on the popular video game World of Warcraft. Although the movie grossed $47.4 million in the United States and $439.1 million worldwide, its reception was lukewarm, and former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has described Warcraft as “one of the worst movies he has ever seen”. Kotick has pointed out that the production of the film turned out to be a significant distraction for Blizzard, causing delays in expansions and updates for the game.
Bobby Kotick is not a fan of the Warcraft movie
During an appearance on the Grit podcast, Kotick reflected on the impact that the movie had on the development team, mentioning that veteran designer Chris Metzen left Blizzard in 2016 due to burnout caused by the production of the feature film. Kotick expressed that the idea of making the movie was “terrible,” considering that it affected the quality and delivery time of the games, as many employees were distracted with tasks related to the filming, such as casting and production.
Despite Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it has been confirmed that World of Warcraft will not be available on Game Pass, which has surprised some fans of the game. However, the title will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2024, and there are no signs that its development is coming to an end. The community remains hopeful, despite past controversies and changes in the studio’s direction.
Since Metzen returned to Blizzard in 2022, Kotick has mentioned that they have barely kept in touch. When asked what he could teach him about game design, he is cautious, reflecting the complexity of the relationship between creatives and management in the entertainment industry.
