Activision Blizzard Ex-CEO Slams Warcraft Movie

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick slammed the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation as "one of the worst movies I've ever seen" in a recent Grit interview. Kotick, who helmed Activision Blizzard for 32 years before his departure in December 2023, attributed the film's negative impact to several factors, including its distraction from World of Warcraft development and its contribution to the departure of veteran designer Chris Metzen in 2016.

Kotick described Metzen as the "heart and soul of creativity" at Blizzard, highlighting his burnout as a consequence of the film's production. He criticized the film's development as a resource drain and significant distraction for Blizzard's game developers, who were diverted to tasks such as casting and on-set assistance. This, he claimed, led to delays in World of Warcraft expansions and patches.

While the Warcraft movie, despite its international success (grossing $439 million globally, though failing to recoup its substantial budget), underperformed domestically ($47 million), Kotick's assessment remains scathing. He revealed that Metzen, deeply affected by the film's production, ultimately left to establish a board game company. Kotick subsequently attempted to persuade Metzen to return as a consultant, but Metzen's dissatisfaction with the planned expansions led to a request for complete overhauls.

Despite Metzen's return, their subsequent interaction was minimal, with Kotick deferring to Metzen's expertise. However, Kotick expressed confidence in the quality of the subsequent expansions, particularly the last, which he praised highly. This assessment aligns with our own review of World of Warcraft: The War Within, which scored a 9/10, describing it as a revitalizing experience for the long-running MMO. The article also mentions Duncan Jones, the film's director, and his unfulfilled plans for a trilogy.