Blizzard is looking for someone to protect and preserve the Warcraft story. And the most famous “know-it-all” from World of Warcraft has applied for it.
Even after the major scandals at Blizzard in recent years, it is still a dream for many to be able to work for this game developer. A job posting promises a very special position that probably doesn’t come around often. Blizzard is looking for an “Archivist for the Warcraft Story” – and the most famous “know-it-all” in the Warcraft community has promptly applied: the “Red Shirt Guy”.
What kind of position is that? The job is for an “Associate Historian, Lore” – a position that probably only exists in a few companies. The task of this person will be to catalog and keep up-to-date the history of Warcraft with all its details. It is not just about having an overview of the storyline, but also capturing even the tiniest detail that has ever been mentioned – whether it be within the “main canon”, such as in Warcraft III and World of Warcraft, or in the expanded universe, such as in Hearthstone or the comics and manga that are not part of the official story.
This position is not entirely new, by the way. Blizzard has had such employees for many years who have access to the “Vault” – a massive archive containing all references and details related to many Warcraft contents. These “Warcraft Historians” are points of contact for other developers who want to continue the current story and verify or inquire about details. After all, it is nearly impossible to have every little detail that was ever mentioned in a quest or NPC dialogue directly in one’s head.
Who is the Red Shirt Guy? Applying for the position is Ian Bates, known to many simply as the “Red Shirt Guy”. He made a name for himself at BlizzCon when he asked a question about the then-latest expansion “Cataclysm”. He wanted to know where the dwarf Falstad Wildhammer had gone, who was supposed to be present at the Council of Three Hammers in Cataclysm. However, he was absent.
The question completely threw both Chris Metzen and Alex Afrasiabi off guard at the time: “Isn’t he dead since ‘Day of the Dragon’?”
Bates then explained that the dwarf had survived, and the WoW developers promised to fix this detail in the beta of Cataclysm.
Bates has since been the “Red Shirt Guy” due to the clothing he wore at that time. At the same time, he has received an NPC in World of Warcraft, the “Wildhammer Fact Checker” – also dressed in red.
But even in the years that followed, Bates repeatedly engaged with the lore surrounding World of Warcraft, pointing out problems and compiling a wealth of information to highlight developments or uncover difficulties with the current storytelling.
The community sees the perfect candidate: For many in the community, it seems clear: if someone is suitable for the job as “Lore Historian” in Warcraft, it is the “Red Shirt Guy” Ian Bates.
In fact, Bates has even applied for the position, as he shared on Twitter.
In the World of Warcraft subreddit, people seem to agree that he would be the perfect fit for this position. Some of the reactions to this are:
- “He would also be my first thought and the perfect candidate.”
- “If they don’t hire that guy, they’re really stupid. They need some good PR.”
- “They should have just named it ‘Position for a Red Shirt Guy’. Because it’s clear he will get the job.”
Could you imagine doing such a job and preserving and archiving the history of Warcraft? Do you think Bates deserves the job?
