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 interview with Grit. Kotick, who helmed Activision Blizzard for 32 years before his departure in December 2023, attributed the film's negative impact to several key issues within Blizzard.
He cited the movie as a significant distraction for the World of Warcraft development team, contributing to delays in expansions and patches. Kotick highlighted the film's drain on resources and the involvement of game developers in aspects like casting and on-set work. This, he claimed, led to burnout and the departure of Chris Metzen, a pivotal figure whom Kotick described as "the heart and soul of creativity" at Blizzard.
"He left, got burnt out," Kotick stated, referring to Metzen. "They made World of Warcraft the movie, which I thought was a terrible idea [but] they had signed the deal before [Activision] had owned the company."
Despite the film's international success, grossing $439 million globally (though falling short of breaking even), Kotick maintained his critical stance. He revealed that Metzen took the film's production personally, ultimately leading to his departure to establish a board game company. Kotick even attempted to persuade Metzen to return as a consultant, but Metzen's dissatisfaction with the planned expansions led to a significant overhaul.
Following Metzen's brief consultancy, Kotick noted limited further interaction, emphasizing a desire to let Metzen focus on his contributions. He expressed confidence in the quality of the subsequent expansion, stating, "The last expansion, he had his fingertips all over it. It's excellent. The next one is going to be great." This sentiment aligns with positive critical reception of the latest expansion, receiving a 9/10 rating in a review, which praised its revitalization of the long-running MMO.
