Blizzard executive Holly Longdale has stated that the Warcraft IP is “underutilized,” suggesting that the company might have new projects or in store to help beef it up and make the most of it.
To be sure, Blizzard has already expanded the Warcraft franchise in a number of ways, including the 2016 movie and the digital card game Hearthstone, along with books and comics. But Longdale thinks Warcraft has even more room to grow.
“It’s a fantastic IP. In my humble opinion, it’s been underutilized and I just want to bring it to as many people as possible,” she told The Game Business. “And that means evolving what Warcraft means, what it is, and where it’s going. We want it to be approachable.”
Longdale went on to say that Blizzard’s Chris Metzen, the executive creative director of Warcraft, has said he sometimes wishes that Blizzard chose a different name for the series because “it sounds intimidating.” But Longdale said people don’t think that about Warhammer, and that franchise has succeeded as well.
For Longdale, she said she’s trying to come up with what a “third space” for Warcraft’s online worlds could mean. “We can’t even define what that means exactly, but we’re working on figuring that out. We want people to come in, hang out and have birthdays, weddings, raids, grand adventures, play with their friends, meet new friends … all the things that World of Warcraft has been good at for over 20 years,” she said.
Longdale said her “goal and vision” for Warcraft is to help the franchise have “broader” appeal, and that means giving existing fans more of what they want, as well as releasing new stuff.
“We’re never going to stop doing the things people love,” she said. “But at the same time, we have a bigger vision than simply being an MMORPG.”
Blizzard recently revealed more of what’s to come to World of Warcraft in 2026, including housing updates, labyrinths, and surprises. Check out the gallery below to see a rundown of what to expect.