Holly Longdale
Reporting and statements that mention Holly Longdale.
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World of Warcraft: Forever console ports seem inevitable as Blizzard wants you to play the MMO "wherever you want,…
Blizzard Entertainment executive Holly Longdale indicated that console versions of World of Warcraft: Forever are likely in the future, stating the studio wants players to be able to play "wherever you want, and at some point on whatever you want." While gamepad support is a primary focus for the new MMO, the possibility of releases on platforms like PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 remains speculative.
World of Warcraft: Forever's devs are preserving "meaningful friction" and going "beyond consoles", giving us 7 reasons to be excited for launch: "We don't know what's going to happen"
World of Warcraft: Forever is launching next week as a new pillar for the franchise, aiming to recapture the spirit of early WoW with new graphics, UI, content, and systems. Executive producer Holly Longdale and associate production director Clay Stone expressed excitement over the beta's success, noting the community's positive response to the game's focus on "meaningful friction" and exploration. The game will feature controller support, with Blizzard aiming for players to be able to play "wherever they want and, at some point, on whatever they want."
How WoW: Forever Is “Pushing The Envelope,” And What Comes After Launch
Blizzard Entertainment is launching World of Warcraft: Forever on November 4, a new version of its MMORPG that aims to push boundaries by incorporating 22 years of hindsight and community feedback. The game will feature over 1,000 new quests, four new zones, substantial class changes, and a new playable race, Skyborne elves. Developers Clay Stone and Holly Longdale discussed the game's approach to endgame content, monetization strategies like charging for the Skyborne race, and plans for future content updates, emphasizing a commitment to long-term player engagement.
"You don't listen to the loudest people in the room" - World of Warcraft: Forever boss discusses how to approach a deluge of feedback
World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale discussed how Blizzard Entertainment approaches player feedback for the upcoming World of Warcraft: Forever. She emphasized the importance of not solely listening to the loudest voices and highlighted the team's selective approach to incorporating community suggestions, balancing them with data-driven research to maintain the game's core vision.
World of Warcraft Forever devs discuss account-wide banks, new races, and tanking Shamans
Developers for World of Warcraft Forever are discussing the implementation of an account-wide bank in the near future and have confirmed that new leveling dungeons and zones will be added to encourage alt character creation. They also addressed the possibility of tanking Shamans and the inclusion of new races, stating that the focus will remain on the original continents for the first few years.
Why alts are part of World of Warcraft: Forever's core progression plans
Blizzard Entertainment is encouraging players to create multiple characters, or 'alts,' in World of Warcraft: Forever by implementing incentives tied to its Legacy System. This system awards points for major accomplishments, which can be used to unlock quality-of-life improvements. The developers aim to make the game more accessible for new players and to ensure players experience all the new content being added.
World of Warcraft Forever had a much smaller original pitch, but it ‘built up over time’
The development team behind World of Warcraft Forever initially had a much smaller scope for the project, focusing on minor class changes to Vanilla World of Warcraft. However, the ambition grew within the team and Blizzard to deliver a more substantial experience than players might have expected, leading to the expanded scope for the game's launch.
World of Warcraft: Forever may take us to Northrend and Pandaria one day as "Azeroth is a big place," Blizzard teases, even if it's all about the first year of the MMO for now
Blizzard Entertainment executives Holly Longdale and Clay Stone have teased that World of Warcraft: Forever could eventually take players to regions like Northrend and Pandaria. While the current focus is on the game's first year, they stated that "nothing is off the table" for future content expansions, with the original continents also having potential for evolution.
World of Warcraft Forever devs have learned "you don't listen to the loudest people in the room"
Blizzard Entertainment executives Holly Longdale and Clay Stone discussed the development of World of Warcraft Forever at PAX Australia, emphasizing a new direction that retains core values while expanding horizontally. They highlighted the massive engagement in the beta and the lesson learned to not solely listen to the loudest voices, but to research player feedback trends to create a complete experience.
WoW: Forever Is Keeping More Than 12,500 Items Secret
World of Warcraft: Forever is intentionally keeping over 12,500 items hidden from dataminers in its beta, representing nearly 40% of the game's total items. While dataminers can see the items exist, their stats and specific properties remain secret, adding an element of mystery to the game's leveling and endgame content. Blizzard VP Holly Longdale noted that the beta is breaking player-number records.
World of Warcraft: Forever's devs are fighting to keep up with beta player volume
Developers for World of Warcraft: Forever are working to increase server population caps multiple times during the beta due to unprecedented player volume. Executive Producer Holly Longdale and developer Josh Greenfield expressed excitement over the high engagement, calling it the "craziest numbers" they've seen. The strong beta performance bodes well for the game's planned November 2026 launch.
World of Warcraft: Forever increases its population cap ahead of a "mega dungeon"
Blizzard Entertainment has increased the population cap for the World of Warcraft: Forever beta ahead of its November launch, with senior designer Josh Greenfield teasing a large new dungeon. The developer also confirmed the beta is attracting more players than expected, leading to further cap increases.
WoW: Forever’s Beta Just Keeps Getting Bigger
The beta for World of Warcraft: Forever is experiencing unprecedented popularity, forcing Blizzard Entertainment to repeatedly increase the population cap. Despite a $60 entry fee for the Skyborne Epic Pack, developers like Holly Longdale and Josh Greenfield have expressed excitement over record-breaking numbers and the insights gained for the full launch.
World of Warcraft Forever adds a ‘pro-social’ feature to help groups get quest drops evenly
World of Warcraft Forever is introducing a 'recent allies' feature to help players group together and a system to evenly distribute quest drops among party members. Lead developer Josh Greenfield explained the 'pro-social' approach aims to make the experience less 'feast or famine.' The beta has also seen another population cap increase.
Suffering from success, WoW Forever beta gets yet another population cap increase as Blizzard struggles to fit everyone…
The beta for World of Warcraft: Forever is experiencing unprecedented player numbers, forcing Blizzard Entertainment to repeatedly increase the population cap. Senior game designer Josh Greenfield described the numbers as the "craziest" he's seen in 17 years, while executive producer Holly Longdale confirmed another cap increase over the weekend. The game's strong performance suggests a positive future for the MMO.
As World of Warcraft: Forever's beta popularity grows, Blizzard has yet again had to increase the server cap
The beta for World of Warcraft: Forever is experiencing high demand, leading Blizzard to increase server capacity multiple times. Executive producer Holly Longdale announced the ongoing need to expand the cap, echoing sentiments from developer Josh Greenfield about unprecedented player numbers. The game requires a significant upfront purchase for beta access, with a monthly subscription planned for its full launch on November 4th.
Experiencing BlizzCon 2026 and the returns of Starcraft, Diablo, and Warcraft
Blizzard Entertainment celebrated the return of BlizzCon with numerous announcements, including World of Warcraft: Forever, a new Starcraft open-world shooter, Diablo 5, and updates for Warcraft 3 and Overwatch. The event also highlighted the company's integration as a Microsoft subsidiary and celebrated anniversaries for Overwatch and Diablo.
"What would a WoW 2 give you that World of Warcraft: Forever isn't already giving you?" - Blizzard addresses the MMO elephant in the room
Blizzard Entertainment has revealed World of Warcraft: Forever, a reimagined version of the original game with new content and improved graphics, rather than a direct sequel. Executives Holly Longdale and Kris Zierhut explained that the existing engine and ongoing development of World of Warcraft make a sequel unnecessary and potentially less viable than evolving the current game. The company also mentioned future plans for Diablo 5 and a StarCraft shooter, while acknowledging the challenges and costs associated with creating a WoW sequel.
MMO Week in Review: Foreverrrrr
BlizzCon 2026 saw major announcements including a new open-world StarCraft shooter, Diablo V for 2029, and World of Warcraft Forever launching soon. The event also revealed World of Warcraft's next retail expansion, The Last Titan, and sparked controversy over World of Warcraft Forever's monetization. Other news included the sunsetting of Ship of Heroes, layoffs at Pantheon Rise of the Fallen, and business dealings involving ArcheAge.
World of Warcraft Forever is already scaring lapsed MMORPG players
Blizzard Entertainment has announced World of Warcraft Forever, a new take on the MMORPG designed to evoke nostalgia and focus on community. Executive Producer Holly Longdale pitched it as a laid-back experience with a level cap of 60, but the game's name and planned updates suggest it may still be a significant time commitment, sparking both excitement and apprehension among players.
