November 24, 2023

Holly Longdale: WoW and the Warcraft Universe

The German portal Buffed had the opportunity to speak with Holly Longdale about WoW and the Warcraft Universe.

The interview with the Vice President and Executive Producer of WoW happened during BlizzCon 2023. They discussed many topics ranging from the game to the potential future development of the Warcraft universe. Here are a few interesting highlights from the interview for your convenience:

Expanding the Warcraft Universe: Warcraft is a vast universe. And the developers aim for every player worldwide to be somehow connected to it. They have plans for its further expansion with numerous ideas and discussions. However, as of now, they cannot share anything specific. Everything will be revealed in time.
Warcraft IV and Warcraft III: Reforged: There’s nothing to share regarding Warcraft IV. However, for Warcraft III: Reforged, several updates are planned for the coming year.
Impact of Classic Versions: When the developers released many Classic versions of WoW, they worried it might split the gaming community and have a negative effect overall. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt the existing community. On the contrary, each game version attracts its distinct group of players. And gamers appreciate what it has to offer.
Season of Discovery: This is a significant experiment for the developers, aiming to try many new things. However, it doesn’t mean they’re definitely focusing globally on something like Classic+ in the future. Right now, there isn’t a clear idea within the community about what Classic+ should include. Everyone had different thoughts and wishes when the developers asked about possible content. There’s no hidden work happening on a complete Classic+ version. The future of WoW Classic will depend on how well the current experiments go and what players think. The developers are concentrating on what most players need and want.

Listening to Players: The developers mentioned they “listen to players.” It means they consider feedback from various sources, from forums and social media to internal data. Sometimes, the data from inside the game contradicts opinions debated loudly by a small group online. So, gathering feedback from many sources is essential to create a complete and unbiased picture.
The Development Team: The exact number of people working on World of Warcraft remains a secret. However, it’s the most prominent team that has ever been assembled for the game. This larger team allows for more frequent releases of new content.
Chris Metzen’s Role: Metzen possesses a unique talent for understanding and consolidating everything that forms the essence of the Warcraft universe. He’s good at recognizing what works and what doesn’t. Furthermore, now anyone can directly approach one of the universe’s founders to clarify specific points instead of searching through old sources. Chris passionately cares about Warcraft and wishes only the best for the gaming world. The developers view Chris’ return to work on Warcraft as a positive sign. The game’s development is on the right track, and they are dedicated to not letting him down.