Activision Blizzard confirmed on Thursday that it plans to bring Warcraft to mobile devices this year. The game has been in “advanced development” since last summer, but this is the first time Blizzard has offered a release date.
It’s not yet clear what the Warcraft experience will look like on smartphones. Fans will no doubt be hoping to get a taste of the original MMORPG formula on-the-go, but some rumors have hinted that it could be very different.
Warcraft finally on its way to iPhone and iPad
Warcraft is one of the biggest and most beloved MMORPG games on the planet. Since its initial release in 1994, it has seen countless successors and expansion packs, and raked in well over $11 billion in lifetime revenue.
It’s somewhat surprising, then, that Warcraft hasn’t already made the leap to smartphones. But that’s going to change — and soon. Blizzard this week confirmed during an earnings call that a mobile release is coming in 2022.
The company, which is in the process of being acquired by Microsoft for a whopping $67 billion, promised it will be “all-new mobile Warcraft content into players’ hands for the first time,” IGN reports.
It also plans “substantial new content” for the desktop version of the game, including “new experiences” for Hearthstone — the free-to-play card game set in the Warcraft universe, which is available on iPhone and iPad.
What will Warcraft look like on mobile?
Blizzard previously confirmed it is working on multiple Warcraft games for mobile that were in “advanced development” as of last August. But it is yet to share details on what those games will look like.
Fans of the franchise will be hoping to experience the game in its original form on smartphones and tablets. And, thanks to Warcraft alternatives like Raid: Shadow Legends and Albion Online, we know that’s certainly possible.
However, some rumors have suggested Blizzard will instead try something new. Kotaku reported in 2018 that one of the company’s mobile titles could be an augmented reality game, similar to Pokémon Go.
