World of Warcraft has spoiled the next 6 years. But why did the developers do that? There are good reasons they can explain.
That at BlizzCon 2023 not only a new expansion of World of Warcraft, but three were announced, hardly anyone had anticipated beforehand. It also seems a bit surreal, as this is unusual for Blizzard. After all, this now reveals the plans for the next 6 years. The announcement of a “new” expansion will probably not happen until at least 2030.
But what was Blizzard actually thinking? In an interview with PCGamer, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas discussed the thoughts and ideas behind this announcement. He explained:
This has been our plan for a while. By speaking it out, it becomes a reality and signals to our players that we have big, ambitious plans for the future of the game. But it also helps set expectations for the story of The War Within. It will, of course, have a satisfying internal conclusion, but not a complete conclusion, as it is just part of a larger narrative arc.
John Hight, the Franchise Director of Warcraft, also agreed with this view:
To continue supporting and growing WoW – and we have been able to do that – we need to evolve. We need to not only look at how we’ve approached things in the past but also how our players play and what they want.
Hazzikostas also sees the benefits for the team, which can now work more focused:
I believe this clarity is incredibly helpful from a creative perspective for the entire development team. Knowing exactly where we’re going allows us to dive deeper into the story today, as we can confidently know what we can hint at. We plant the seeds and know that they will bear fruit someday. That is very exciting for everyone.
However, nothing is supposed to change in the basic structure of the expansions. In the Q&A, Hazzikostas already mentioned that there would be no “shrinkflation” – meaning expansions should not offer less content. In the interview, he reiterated that and revealed:
Four areas, eight dungeons, raids, and new levels … That is essentially an expansion, and it is not something we are trying to redefine here.
So there is a lot new in World of Warcraft – but some things indeed never change.
How did you find the announcement of three expansions at once? A good, transparent step? Or a fatal mistake for the future?
