Activision Blizzard has quietly announced that it is working on a brand-new Warcraft game for mobile devices.While we have known that Blizzard is looking to make mobile game adaptations of all of its hit IPs, there hasn’t been any concrete plans revealed beyond the previously confirmed Diablo Immortal. Hearthstone first showed the company that it could have a huge and enduring success for mobile, and it’s technically set inside the Warcraft universe, but rumors about a new mobile Warcraft title have been swirling since at least 2017. Whether that will entail a return to the RTS style of old or be something similar to World of Warcraft remains to be seen. One rumor that has endured is that it’s an AR title similar to Pokemon GO. Still, any ideas of what a mobile Warcraft game would be remain just that - rumors. Activision Blizzard has been pretty quiet about its mobile plans ever since its infamous reveal of Diablo Immortal at BlizzCon 2018, which prompted a fan outcry that overtook any other news from the event. In making it the centerpiece of the keynote speech it underestimated how much vitriol would pour out of its fans at making a mobile version of the hit franchise, and not a brand-new title.
It has clearly learned from its mistake, as this official news that a new Warcraft game was being developed was hidden inside its latest fiscal report. In it, Activision Blizzard says it's working on "substantial new content" for its oldest franchise and that it is looking to get "all-new mobile Warcraft content into players' hands for the first time." The report also reveals that Activision Blizzard made $8.8 billion in revenue in 2021, although Blizzard only saw $1.82 billion of that (the rest came from Activision and King titles). It shows that the massive publisher continues to be a success, and just why Microsoft sought it for acquisition in the first place.
Along with the acquisition shaking things up, Activision Blizzard is in the middle of upheaval right now as a workplace, with the ongoing allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct and anti-union messages being spread by VPs. That hasn’t stopped them from being profitable or announcing that many new games are in the works, with 2022 shaping up to be an absolutely massive one for the developer. Hopefully it can get its house in order so that gamers can truly enjoy the titles.
Source: Game Developer