World of Warcraft
News, coverage and analysis tracking World of Warcraft across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Overwatch and World of Warcraft composer Adam Burgess departs Blizzard after 11 years
Adam Burgess, a composer for Blizzard Entertainment's games including Diablo, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft, has announced his departure after more than 11 years. Burgess led the music team for Overwatch and Overwatch 2 and expressed gratitude for his creative career at the company.
Vague Patch Notes: The challenge of staying in an MMO
This opinion piece discusses the challenges of consistently creating content for a single Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game over extended periods, using Final Fantasy XIV as a primary example. The author reflects on the personal toll and potential burnout associated with long-term game coverage, emphasizing the importance of taking breaks and pursuing other interests to maintain passion and content quality.
World of Warcraft’s Chinese version plans a big ‘X Party’ to celebrate 21 years of the game
World of Warcraft's Chinese version is planning a large 'X Party' event in Shanghai on October 16th to celebrate 21 years of the game in the region. This offline event serves as the equivalent of BlizzCon for Chinese fans, featuring giveaways, news, and previews of upcoming developments.
MMO Business Roundup: Roblox claims it’s safe, dev charity bundle, and Xbox 360 games on PC
This MMO business roundup covers several key developments, including Microsoft's alleged plans to bring Xbox 360 games to PC and future consoles. Roblox Corp asserts its platform is safe for users despite ongoing allegations, while the World of Warcraft union highlights developer struggles with RTO mandates. Additionally, a charitable game bundle for laid-off developers has raised over $146,000.
KING Art reveal the full voice cast for Dawn of War IV
KING Art has revealed the full voice cast for their upcoming game, Dawn of War IV. The cast includes notable voice actors such as Brian Drummond returning as Warboss Gorgutz, Steve Blum as Cyrus, and Alistair Petrie as The Lion. The game is set to release in September and will feature a full campaign for each faction, multiplayer skirmishes, and an army painter.
Saudi-acquired EA is reportedly planning to make massive cuts after taking $18 billion of debt, and we all know what…
Electronic Arts has officially gone private under the ownership of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. This transition involves taking on $18 billion in debt, leading to a reported $700 million in annual cost-cutting measures, which are expected to result in significant layoffs across the company.
WoW will let some WeakAura-style mods function in its next major patch, as the war on combat AddOns turns into more of a…
Blizzard Entertainment is allowing certain WeakAura-style AddOns to function in World of Warcraft's upcoming Patch 12.1, marking a significant concession in its policy on combat-based UI modifications. While not fully restored to their previous capabilities, these AddOns will now be able to read buffs on allies and debuffs on enemies, offering enhanced utility for players.
Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft Crossover Is Up for Preorder
A crossover between World of Warcraft and Dungeons & Dragons is now available for preorder and will launch in November. This collaboration brings elements of the popular MMORPG into the tabletop role-playing game.
World of Warcraft’s Update 11.1 gives you better tools to track cooldowns and consumables
World of Warcraft's upcoming Update 11.1: Curse of Ula’Tek will introduce significant user interface improvements, including an enhanced cooldown manager that tracks trinkets, potions, and racial abilities. The update also brings additional options to the ping system and raid frame customization for healers.
World of Warcraft’s Update 12.1 gives you better tools to track cooldowns and consumables
World of Warcraft's upcoming Update 12.1, Curse of Ula'Tek, will introduce significant user interface improvements, including an enhanced cooldown manager that tracks trinkets, potions, and racial abilities. Players will also see additional options for the ping system and raid frame customization for healers.
Player-run World of Warcraft Tournament of Ages returns to raise money for Blessings in a Backpack
The annual player-run World of Warcraft event, Tournament of Ages, is currently underway on the Moon Guard RP server. This roleplaying celebration fosters friendly competition between the Horde and Alliance through various activities and includes a charity art auction, date auction, and performers, all to raise funds for Blessings in a Backpack, a charity providing weekend meals for children in the United States.
World of Warcraft shares a new visual comic book story, Legacy of Rage
Blizzard Entertainment has released a new visual comic book titled 'Legacy of Rage' to accompany the latest World of Warcraft patch. The comic explores the story of a young Amani troll named Zul’jan as he navigates his people's legacy and the temptation of ancient power.
MMO Week in Review: I want to believe
This week's MMO news roundup covers updates and announcements for numerous titles including Stars Reach, EverQuest Legends, Elder Scrolls Online, and Final Fantasy XIV. Key stories include Stars Reach's official early access date, Elder Scrolls Online's post-layoff roadmap, and Guild Wars 3 revealing its composers. The article also touches on game development, business practices, and player sentiment across various MMORPGs.
Xbox Won’t Leave Steam Leading Up to Project Helix Launch – Rumor
A rumor suggests Xbox will not remove its games from Steam before the launch of Project Helix, with sources indicating no immediate plans to leave the platform. Xbox is heavily investing in PC gaming, with Game Pass targeting a different audience than Steam users. Microsoft may also open the Battle.net launcher to third-party developers following the Activision Blizzard acquisition.
One Shots: It brings the whole room together
This week's 'One Shots' column features community screenshots from various MMOs, including Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, World of Warcraft, and Lord of the Rings Online. Players shared images of in-game statues, character customizations, and humorous in-game events, highlighting the vibrant community aspect of these games.
"I wish physical media was here to stay": As Sony reports 82% digital PlayStation sales, ex-Blizzard boss says "the purchasing trend from consumers is clear"
Sony reported that 82% of its PlayStation game sales are now digital, a trend former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra finds significant, despite his personal preference for physical media. Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad noted Xbox's digital ratio exceeds 90%, and Capcom anticipates 95% digital sales by next year, highlighting a clear consumer shift away from physical discs.
Former WoW designer says Blizzard had no way to measure maximum player DPS while building early raids—so the studio enlisted its strongest sickos to grind target dummies
Former World of Warcraft designer Wyatt Cheng revealed that Blizzard Entertainment lacked robust player data for measuring maximum DPS during early raid development. To determine boss tuning, the studio had employees test classes against target dummies and manually calculated damage output. This led to the implementation of mechanics like Enrage timers to ensure players met DPS requirements, a practice that has become a staple in WoW raid design.
World Of Warcraft Is Coming To D&D, And Will Let You Grind Renown Just Like The MMO
Blizzard Entertainment is releasing Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft in November, translating the popular MMORPG into a tabletop roleplaying experience. The adaptation will feature all 13 WoW classes, new subclasses, over 40 class specializations, 11 WoW races, and systems like Renown grinding with factions. Preordering certain editions will also unlock in-game cosmetic items for World of Warcraft.
Nexus Mods finally tightens the screws on AI, though it's still playing softball with the tide of slop
Nexus Mods has updated its policies regarding the use of generative AI tools, introducing new tags to differentiate between AI-generated content, AI-assisted content, and AI-generated promotional media. The platform will now enforce stricter tagging requirements, with failure to disclose AI usage potentially leading to moderation actions.
Star Wars Is Coming to Dungeons & Dragons in 2027, and Darth Vader Delivered the News Himself
Wizards of the Coast announced that Star Wars will be integrated into Dungeons & Dragons starting in 2027, with Darth Vader himself delivering the news at Gen Con. This crossover will utilize the 'Universes Beyond' model, similar to Magic: The Gathering, allowing for campaigns set in George Lucas's universe. Details on how the Force will be implemented in D&D 5.5e remain unknown.
