For many fans of World of Warcraft, this is good news: the story veteran Chris Metzen is returning to the WoW team.
Those who are attached to the “old Blizzard” have had to endure several setbacks in recent years. This is not only regarding the big scandals of the company but also the departure of many well-known and popular developers. One of them was Chris Metzen, whom many refer to as the “father of Warcraft.” Those who have never come to terms with this departure can now rejoice – because Chris Metzen is back on the WoW team.
What was announced? John Hight, the current “General Manager” of the Warcraft franchise, announced via Twitter the return of Chris Metzen. In the tweet, he said:
Citizens of Azeroth,
It is with great pleasure that I announce today that Chris Metzen has joined the leadership team of Warcraft as a creative advisor. Chris will initially focus on World of Warcraft, then expand his work to other projects in the growing franchise.
Chris was one of the original team members who worked on the Warcraft universe back in 1994 and we are so happy to unify him again with the world he helped create.
Who is Chris Metzen? Chris Metzen is one of the earliest members of Blizzard and is likely still remembered by long-time veterans of World of Warcraft. He is considered the creative mind behind the story and a large part of the world of Azeroth has sprung from his ideas.
Interestingly, in the English original of World of Warcraft, Metzen also voices some important characters – including the orc Thrall or the former fire lord Ragnaros.
Chris Metzen left Blizzard in 2016 due to suffering from several illnesses, including burnout.
Community celebrates the return: The news is being well received within the player base and many see this return as another “victory” for World of Warcraft, aligning with current events. In the WoW subreddit, the announcement reached over 6,000 upvotes in less than 4 hours. For many fans, this is just another confirmation that a lot has changed within WoW in a short time and that the game is now on a much better long-term path. Some voices from the community on this topic:
- “I’m glad to see him again in any capacity, as long as he is doing well after his burnout.”
- “Dad is finally back after going to get milk and cigarettes.”
- “Damn, the bronze dragons are really messing with the timelines.”
What do you think about Chris Metzen’s return? Is it good that the story veteran is back on board? Or is it better if there are more new faces and fewer of the ‘old’ developers?
