World of Warcraft
News, coverage and analysis tracking World of Warcraft across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Rykten, skvaller & önskedrömmar - Blizzcon 2026
This article speculates on potential announcements and reveals for Blizzcon 2026, Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming fan convention. Topics include new expansions for World of Warcraft and Diablo IV, potential StarCraft game developments, and updates for Overwatch and Hearthstone, alongside rumors of a combined Xbox Game Pass and Blizzard subscription service.
The Game Archaeologist: World of Warcraft is unfairly portrayed as the villain of MMO history
This article challenges the common narrative that World of Warcraft is the villain responsible for homogenizing the MMORPG genre. Instead, it argues that bad game design and a lack of approachability in pre-WoW MMOs were the primary factors that led to their decline, with World of Warcraft simply offering a more polished and user-friendly experience.
Ex-Blizzard employee has 'vibe' coded a new game engine with backing from AMD: 'We're developing 93x…
Former Blizzard employee Mark Kern has developed a new game engine called Kun-Zhi, which he claims was built using AI and is 93x faster than Unreal Engine. The engine, backed by AMD and Razer, is intended to be AI-first and will be released to the public. Kern, who previously worked on World of Warcraft and founded Red 5 Studios, believes this approach significantly speeds up development.
EA's Saudi Arabian owners are reportedly considering forming an ubermegacorp by merging them with Savvy Games
Following the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund's $55 billion takeover of Electronic Arts, the PIF is reportedly considering merging EA with its existing firm, Savvy Games Group. This potential 'ubermegacorp' aims to better coordinate the PIF's gaming investments, though no decision has been made. Concerns exist regarding potential layoffs and the influence of the Saudi government's human rights record on creative decisions.
Massively Overthinking: Should MMORPG development be approached like a ‘grail quest’?
This article discusses whether approaching MMORPG development as a 'grail quest' is a worthwhile strategy, featuring insights from various writers and readers. While some express optimism about Riot Games' ambitious approach to its in-development MMO, others raise concerns about the challenges and potential for disappointment inherent in such large-scale projects.
WoW Factor: The well intentioned errors of World of Warcraft’s Ula’tek storyline
This analysis critiques the storytelling in World of Warcraft's patch 12.1: Curse of Ula'tek, focusing on the narrative surrounding the Amani Trolls. The author argues that the patch mishandles the Amani's history and attempts to create sympathy for unsympathetic characters, ultimately detracting from the nuance of Troll culture and the game's established lore. While praising the exploration of ancient history and the character Nek'zali, the piece finds the present-day melodrama and the downplaying of historical conflicts disappointing.
Newzoo: Most established live-service and evergreen titles were flat or down year over year in H1 2026
Newzoo reports that most live-service and evergreen games saw flat or declining year-over-year performance in the first half of 2026, with growth limited to a few titles. Digital revenues declined in Western markets, attributed to free-to-play and annualised premium weakness. Console player growth is projected to increase to 3% in 2026, largely driven by the anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto 6.
Blizzard must now 'discuss, evaluate, and bargain' its AI usage with its developers
Blizzard Entertainment's union, in partnership with the Communications Workers of America, has secured a new contract that requires the company to discuss and bargain over the implementation of generative AI in the workplace. This landmark agreement, impacting around 1900 workers, also includes wage increases, job protections, and enhanced severance for layoffs, offering a significant victory for labor rights in the gaming industry.
Attendees will be able to check out a demo of The Witcher 3 DLC Songs of the Past behind closed doors at PAX Australia
Attendees at PAX Australia will have the opportunity to experience a behind-closed-doors demo of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's upcoming DLC, Songs of the Past. The expansion, developed by Fool's Theory in collaboration with CD Projekt, will feature a new region and focus on the character Dandelion. The event also includes panels and demos for other games and tabletop experiences.
Almost 1,900 Blizzard workers ratify first union contract with Microsoft
Blizzard Entertainment employees, represented by newly formed unions, have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with parent company Microsoft. The contract, lasting four to five years, includes protections for generative AI use, crediting, remote work, and layoffs, establishing a 60-day notice period for job cuts and 14 months of recall rights. Meanwhile, Activision's subsidiary King has rejected a collective bargaining agreement with Swedish trade unions.
Almost 1,900 Blizzard workers vote through a "historic" union contract securing protections against layoffs and gen-AI
Approximately 1,900 unionized workers at Blizzard Entertainment have ratified their first contract, securing protections against layoffs and mandating bargaining over the use of generative AI. This historic agreement provides enhanced severance and recall rights for employees across multiple game teams, including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo.
Casually Classic: Tempering personal expectations for the WoW Classic BlizzCon announcement
The author discusses tempering expectations for the upcoming World of Warcraft Classic announcement at BlizzCon 2026. While acknowledging the community's intense speculation and anticipation, the piece advises a more grounded approach to receiving the news, suggesting that the reality may differ from fan-driven rumors.
Unionised Blizzard workers vote through contract giving them a say on genAI adoption and protection against layoffs
Unionized Blizzard Entertainment workers have ratified a new contract that requires the company to negotiate with them over the use of generative AI tools and provides protections against layoffs. The contract covers approximately 1900 staff and includes provisions for recall rights for laid-off employees and additional severance pay. This development occurs amidst ongoing workforce reductions at Microsoft's gaming division.
20 years later, veteran WoW director says players outsmarted him completely in Ahn'Qiraj: 'All that work, and…
Former Blizzard game director Wyatt Cheng reflects on the Ahn'Qiraj raid in World of Warcraft, specifically the Prophet Skeram boss encounter, admitting players outsmarted his intended mechanics. He details how players used various in-game exploits and UI mods to easily identify the real boss, despite his efforts to create a challenging illusion mechanic.
Turns out, a lot of Sega's biggest fans don't play its videogames: 'In some cases, their engagement is…
Sega president Shuji Utsumi noted that a significant portion of fans for series like Yakuza engage with the IP through merchandise and media, rather than playing the games themselves. This highlights the growing importance of transmedia strategies in building brand interest and fan engagement, even among non-gamers.
"It's a new day at Blizzard": Union wins historic contract protecting 1,900 World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and more workers as Microsoft plans another 1,600 layoffs
Blizzard Entertainment union members, represented by the CWA, have secured a new contract covering 1,900 workers across titles like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. The agreement includes strong protections against layoffs and mandates negotiation over the use of AI in game development. This comes as parent company Microsoft plans further layoffs across Xbox.
'No-one puts Double Fine out of business except me', says Tim Schafer on taking Double Fine independent:…
Double Fine has become an independent studio again after parting ways with Microsoft, a move initiated by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's significant layoffs. Studio head Tim Schafer expressed that while the games industry has harsh realities, he is determined to keep Double Fine afloat and sees the transition as a creative awakening, despite having to lay off 23 employees himself.
What To Expect From BlizzCon 2026: StarCraft’s Return, A Whole Lot Of Warcraft
BlizzCon 2026, scheduled for September 12, is poised to be a major event for Blizzard Entertainment, with significant announcements expected across its key franchises. The convention will likely reveal more details about World of Warcraft's next expansion, The Last Titan, and potentially a new version of World of Warcraft Classic. StarCraft is set to make a substantial return, possibly with a new shooter title and a partnership with Nexon. Diablo will celebrate its 30th anniversary with news on Diablo 4 and potentially other franchise entries, while Overwatch will continue its momentum with new heroes and story developments.
WoW Factor: Exploring the content and systems of World of Warcraft’s Curse of Ula’tek
The 12.1 patch for World of Warcraft, Curse of Ula'tek, is described as a middle-of-the-road update with both improvements and drawbacks. While the core gameplay remains strong, new features like the Venomous Abyss raid, the 'lair' system for world bosses, and the Prey feature are criticized for visual monotony, reduced rewards, and lack of variety, respectively. The article suggests Blizzard is struggling to build upon the solid foundation of recent expansions.
"20 players is the sweet spot": Guild Wars 3's action game combat is a first for MMOs, but it doesn't work at traditional raid scale
ArenaNet is developing Guild Wars 3 with a focus on action game-like combat and fluid movement, drawing inspiration from titles like Prince of Persia and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This approach shifts away from traditional MMO raid scales, aiming for a 'sweet spot' of around 20 players for optimal combat experience. The developers are also incorporating lessons from live service games to make the MMO more approachable.
