Already busy with the MMO World of Warcraft, Blizzard would consider asking for help to exploit its golden egg license with spin-offs.
In any case, this is what the general manager of Warcraft indicated during an interview with IGN. Blizzard could thus, like Riot with League of Legends, approach third-party studios to expand the horizons of its flagship franchise.
Soon all kinds of Warcraft?
Since its release 20 years ago, World of Warcraft has been a hit at Blizzard. Despite other strong licenses like Diablo, Overwatch or StarCraft (well, that was before), it is the flagship MMO that carries the American giant. Early fans would love to see the license again in a strategy game. This prospect, however, turns out to be unlikely after the scandal of Warcraft III: Reforged. Although?
John Hight, general manager of the franchise, said he was open to the idea of entrusting the production of spin-offs to third-party studios. We’ve already seen success, at least for a while, with the card game Hearthstone. The mobile game Warcraft Rumble was also an attempt for Blizzard to branch out. It is therefore possible that other similar games, produced outside the Irvine company, will see the light of day in the future. The American giant, however, wants to be cautious in the choice of possible future partners.
“ More work? »
“ I think if we find the right partner, the right situation and they’re versed in a genre of gaming that we’re really unfamiliar with, they would be the ideal partner for us to work together. We’re open to the idea, but it’s relatively new to us “. Blizzard has indeed shown a certain desire for control several times in the past. The idea of entrusting one’s most precious baby and offering a certain creative freedom to another studio is therefore a prospect carefully considered.
Hight also expresses some concern about the dispersion of the Warcraft fan base. “ I want the license to be freer than it is now. But I also don’t want us to grow too quickly and no longer be able to serve the audience we have. “. Generally speaking, however, the consensus seems to move more towards openness to such a perspective. “ I think licensing can benefit from being open to other companies that share our love for it, have a really cool idea, share our commitment to quality, and have the ability to stick with it. These requirements probably narrow down the list of potential candidates a lot, right? “. In any case, the idea is starting to make headway in the major authorities of Azeroth.