Highlights
- World of Warcraft may consider consoles, as technology has evolved allowing for MMORPGs on PlayStation and Xbox systems.
- Blizzard’s Holly Longdale didn’t confirm plans but hinted at the possibility, given ongoing discussions on making the game multiplatform.
- While no public plans have been announced, the shift to multiplatform gaming could potentially bring World of Warcraft to Xbox consoles.
Blizzard has spoken on the popular topic of whether its long-running multiplayer online RPG World of Warcraft might finally make its way to console platforms. The latest comments come from a leading member of the development team for the game, as the studio gears up to promote the latest World of Warcraft expansion.
While World of Warcraft is by no means on the way out, the game is in many ways symbolic of an earlier era of game development, when World of Warcraft and MMORPG competitors seemingly led the way in PC-exclusive design. That era of exclusivity has passed, and many major online games are multiplatform, MMORPGs included.
World of Warcraft Reveals Plans for The War Within Alpha Test
World of Warcraft reveals an exciting plan for its public alpha testing phase, with the first wave of invites set to go out incredibly soon.
Thus, the question was put to World of Warcraft Vice President and Executive Producer Holly Longdale during an interview with Eurogamer at a World of Warcraft promotional event. Could the beloved, nearly 20-year-old MMORPG finally be heading to consoles?
Blizzard Speaks Out About the Possibility of World of Warcraft on Consoles
When confronted with the question of whether World of Warcraft on consoles could be happening, Longdale didn’t outright deny the possibility. During the interview, she said that “nothing’s impossible.” Indeed, things have come a long way in terms of console capabilities since the game launched in 2004. Consoles like the PS4, Xbox Series X, and even the Nintendo Switch have all hosted persistent online games, including full-size MMORPGs. Some are even direct competitors to World of Warcraft itself, like Final Fantasy 14 and its presence on PlayStation and Xbox.
At the same time, Longdale didn’t confirm any plans or announcements regarding the matter. Despite conceding the possibility of bringing the game to consoles, Longdale was quick to put the lid on any wording that could be interpreted as a confirmation, saying that she couldn’t “say anything more” than acknowledging that possibility. With registration open for the beta test of The War Within, and a public alpha test soon to begin, the development team is probably too busy maintaining and upgrading the game to entertain much multiplatform speculation.
This isn’t the first time Longdale’s been asked about World of Warcraft on consoles. During Blizzcon 2023, Longdale said that the development team talks about taking World of Warcraft multiplatform “all the time.” And now that Blizzard and its parent company, Activision, are fully in the stable of Microsoft, the company may be in a position to give the Xbox consoles a booth by making one of its most popular online games available there. But at the moment, at least, the company has no public plans to do so.
World of Warcraft
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.
- 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)
