World of Warcraft console port possible after Xbox-Activision acquisition

Arthas Menethil grinning at the viewer
Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

Arthas Menethil grinning at the viewer
Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

In an interview with GamesRadar, World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale claimed that the team is often in talks about bringing the massively popular online game to consoles.

In her talk with Josh West, Longdale revealed that the team talks about a potential console release "all the time". While the producer isn't convinced that the technical hurdles would be insurmountable, she admits that the possibility of a console port "depends on who you ask". However, the producer admits that Blizzard is "pretty well positioned" to deliver the long-awaited port.

The interview comes just after the announcement of Worldsoul Saga, set to bring three large expansions to the game. It's unlikely that players will see any major movements toward a console release before the saga's conclusion, but Longdale makes it clear that "of course we're talking about [console releases] [...] we are Microsoft now."

Gaming enthusiasts are keen to see the results of Microsoft's Activision-Blizzard-King acquisition, and World of Warcraft would be one hell of an exclusive if it appeared on Xbox via Game Pass or otherwise. The massively multiplayer online game has survived longer than most games in its genre, but all MMOs face a constant need to reinvent themselves and stay fresh for players.

Consoles could be a great place for Warcraft to attract new players. Some of the more hardcore audience will scoff at the idea of playing with controller users, but after 19 years at the top of the pile, it's safe to assume the Warcraft developers know what they're doing.

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Blizzard would be wise to pursue the idea carefully, however. Warcraft players aren't known to express discontent quietly, and were previously so averse to change that Warcraft Classic came into being. It's safe to say that WoW on consoles will need to be incredibly impressive from the get-go if it wants to survive.