Blizzard’s 2018 announcement of Diablo Immortal went over like a lead balloon. Diablo followers anticipating a brand new recreation within the sequence weren’t joyful to see the studio go for a cell recreation, they usually made no secret about it, calling it “disrespectful” and “a slap within the face.” Blizzard acknowledged that the power of the backlash caught it by surprise (though it took pains to keep away from criticizing the “followers” liable for it), and it clearly discovered some classes from the expertise. Not that cell video games are unhealthy, thoughts you, however that large, high-profile buildups aren’t essentially one of the simplest ways to announce them.
That could be why the primary phrase of a brand new Warcraft recreation—for cell—was not dropped on the primary stage at BlizzCon, however within the midst of Activision Blizzard’s Q4 2021 financial results statement. Not that there is a lot mentioned about it: “Blizzard is planning substantial new content material for the Warcraft franchise in 2022, together with new experiences in World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, and getting all-new cell Warcraft content material into gamers’ arms for the primary time.”
There aren’t any additional particulars: The sport could possibly be one thing so simple as a redo of the unique Warcraft RTS, some type of all-new cell spinoff, or possibly even Hearthstone 2, though that appears extraordinarily unlikely. It may be that we’re lastly going to get our arms on the Pokémon Go-styled game based mostly on Warcraft we heard about again in 2018. (Personally, I believe the chances are good that that is precisely what it’s.)
No matter Blizzard has cooking, it is clear that the expertise with Diablo Immortal hasn’t dissuaded it from bringing its greatest video games to cell. That is not stunning: In the identical monetary report, Activision Blizzard mentioned its cell internet bookings grew 18% yr over yr, and represented 33% of its complete internet bookings within the quarter. And whereas Name of Responsibility internet bookings on PC and consoles really declined within the quarter, “reflecting decrease premium gross sales for Name of Responsibility: Vanguard versus the yr in the past title and decrease engagement in Name of Responsibility: Warzone,” Name of Responsibility Cellular was up, because of continued progress in China.