Summary
- With the Microsoft acquisition, there is a possibility that World of Warcraft may come to Xbox, potentially reaching an even wider audience.
- The developers are currently focused on the Worldsoul Saga, but the idea of an Xbox version is being discussed internally.
- The inclusion of console-friendly features, such as native controller support, in recent updates suggests that a console port of World of Warcraft could be likely in the future.
Now that Blizzard Entertainment is part of Microsoft, many World of Warcraft players are wondering if Blizzard's flagship title will ever come to consoles, and executive producer Holly Longdale had a lot to say about that particular topic. World of Warcraft came out at a time when MMOs were primarily made with a PC audience in mind, and while it has enjoyed a nearly unmatched level of success over the years, many of its competitors such as Final Fantasy 14 have since provided options for console players to dig into the MMO experience. With the announcement of the Worldsoul Saga for World of Warcraft, Blizzard has a chance to bring the game to an even wider audience.
Though the team is primarily focused on developing the Worldsoul Saga, the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard is now complete, and the possibility of World of Warcraft coming to Xbox has remained an unaddressed elephant in the room since. The developers already have a lot to deal with, as The War Within is slated for a late 2024 launch, but it is important to note that Blizzard is now uniquely positioned to bring World of Warcraft to Microsoft's console.
"We’ve got these three expansions, and we are so excited about them. But, yeah, of course. It would be very insincere to say that we’re not, like… of course we’re talking about that. We are Microsoft now."
With Final Fantasy 14 also releasing an Xbox version in early 2024, Blizzard is arguably leaving money on the table by not following suit. During her interview with GamesRadar, Holly Longdale was asked if an Xbox version of World of Warcraft was being internally discussed, to which she had to say: "Of course! Yeah, we talk about it all the time."
"We’ve got these three expansions, and we are so excited about them. But, yeah, of course. It would be very insincere to say that we’re not, like… of course we’re talking about that. We are Microsoft now," Longdale added with a chuckle. She explained that a console audience had a completely different level of approachability, and that the question was ultimately more complicated than it may seem on paper. However, based on the answer provided by the Blizzard executive, it's very probable that World of Warcraft will get its console port at some point in the future.
The War Within will bring many evergreen features to World of Warcraft, and something that players could keep an eye out for would be the inclusion of console-friendly features. For example, Shadowlands added native controller support in Patch 9.0.1.
With Cataclysm and the Season of Discovery coming to World of Warcraft Classic, Blizzard has shown a willingness to grow the Warcraft brand in a non-linear direction. Though it remains to be seen how long it would take for an Xbox version to be developed, Longdale has at least confirmed that the developer team is on the same page as the audience in that regard.
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence (online interactions not rated)
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Publisher(s)
- Blizzard
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- pc, ps
- Cross Save
- yes
WHERE TO PLAY
World of Warcraft is an incredibly successful MMORPG that has been going strong for almost two decades. It's one of the highest-grossing franchises in history and is widely considered the most popular MMORPG ever made.
