Blizzard’s 2018 announcement of Diablo Immortal went over like a lead balloon. Diablo followers looking forward to a brand new recreation within the collection weren’t pleased to see the studio go for a cell recreation, and so they made no secret about it, calling it “disrespectful” and “a slap within the face.” Blizzard acknowledged that the energy of the backlash caught it by surprise (though it took pains to keep away from criticizing the “followers” answerable for it), and it clearly realized some classes from the expertise. Not that cell video games are dangerous, thoughts you, however that massive, high-profile buildups aren’t essentially the easiest way to announce them.
That could be why the primary phrase of a brand new Warcraft recreation—for cell—was not dropped on the principle stage at BlizzCon, however within the midst of Activision Blizzard’s Q4 2021 financial results statement. Not that there is a lot mentioned about it: “Blizzard is planning substantial new content material for the Warcraft franchise in 2022, together with new experiences in World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, and getting all-new cell Warcraft content material into gamers’ palms for the primary time.”
There aren’t any additional particulars: The sport may very well be one thing so simple as a redo of the unique Warcraft RTS, some sort of all-new cell spinoff, or perhaps even Hearthstone 2, though that appears extraordinarily unlikely. It is also that we’re lastly going to get our palms on the Pokémon Go-styled game based mostly on Warcraft we heard about again in 2018. (Personally, I feel the percentages are good that that is precisely what it’s.)
No matter Blizzard has cooking, it is clear that the expertise with Diablo Immortal hasn’t dissuaded it from bringing its largest video games to cell. That is not shocking: In the identical monetary report, Activision Blizzard mentioned its cell internet bookings grew 18% yr over yr, and represented 33% of its complete internet bookings within the quarter. And whereas Name of Obligation internet bookings on PC and consoles truly declined within the quarter, “reflecting decrease premium gross sales for Name of Obligation: Vanguard versus the yr in the past title and decrease engagement in Name of Obligation: Warzone,” Name of Obligation Cell was up, because of continued development in China.
