I frequently read the forums and for many years have rolled my eyes and people spouting out that the game is dying or that Blizzard sucks; or a multiple of flurried insults towards the company because something isn’t going their way. Never once have I myself come to that point of believing it, until now.
I’m apart of a friend group across Alliance and Horde factions, who’ve been playing since Orcs and Humans and who were sold as lifelong players after WC:3. Friends who started out killing boars, to venture on Outland and who infiltrated Icecrown screaming: “FOR THE HORDE!” or “FOR THE ALLIANCE!”. These are the types of people you would have wanted introducing your game to their children. These are the types of fans and customers who would have carried your game into the next generation and kept you in solid business and unfortunately these are the types of fans who have or are ready to throw in the towel completely.
- Faction Pride: You brand was bolstered and freely marketed to everyone in the world by having people showcase their factions with pride. From bumper stickers, to clothing, conversations and people forever tattooing themselves. 2023 Blizzcon, Metzen riled up the crowds by using this very method. There is a sincere pride nerd-culture in general has around choosing a side and standing behind it. You will find this in almost all successful fandoms and you will see this fading in almost all collapsing ones. The Horde and Alliance do not need active full out war constantly, at many points in lore they’ve joined together to solve a bigger issue, but their background conflicts have kept faction pride alive. Your game will die without the identity of your factions, you do not have the story to build something akin to FFXIV’s set up without destroying your game.
- Redemption Arcs: Some people do not deserve redemption arcs. I repeat, some people do not deserve redemption arcs. There is nothing people love more than a well written enemy who sticks to his narrative. There is a reason people booed Sylvanas, but cheered on Garrosh during the Shadowlands expansion. Redemption arcs should be saved and used sparingly, else they lose their value and impact. Additionally, when used they must be done realistically. Allow people to latch onto the concept of a character first and then deliver it in a manner which is natural, but do not force the player through your writing of NPCs and lore characters to suddenly accept your new adaptation of an enemy. Allow your readers and players to come to their own conclusion without their faction and racial leaders acting a fool. Most of all? Allow a villian to be a villian. You’ll find many evil characters are well received and fonded over.
- Racial Identity: Similar to faction pride, many players find a sense of kindship and pride in the race they’ve chosen to live in Azeroth in. You’ve made heritage armor and have acknowledged this, yet still pry away from the source material. You’ve used these storylines to set new narratives and tones amongst the races, while neglecting what has made people passionate. The Emerald Dream is a good example. The Emerald Dream is more or less a love letter to the Night Elf player base, with beautiful storylines regarding cultural lore. However, you’ve neglected storylines to properly integrate the Horde, Darkfallen, Demon Hunters, and all those who have previously set to destroy that very cultural history. Instead, you once more used racial pride to push an unrealistic narrative. (There are many more examples prior and past BFA. Orcs slaughtered Cenarius, and when they weren’t hopped up on demon blood killed his son. Darkfallen/Demon Hunters? Why would anything of corruptive magic be allowed near the dream after all the storylines regarding the Nightmare?) The compliant isn’t that you’ve added this, it is that you have not done it in a manner which is coherent. You need to prioritize the racial group your focused on and make quests that explain things in a manner which speak to that group. You do not need to forbid factions, you need it to make sense. (Again, I point to the Manari storyline. You are pushing narratives, while actively insulting the race you’re pushing them for.)
- The New Generation: The new generation will not be playing World of Warcraft unless introduced by their parents. That is the realism of it. There are many games with better graphics, play styles and storylines which will capture the attention of younger viewers. You need to stop changing the game with children in mind when the vast majority of your audience is middle aged. Children will be introduced through nostalgia of their parents, not because you’ve made your storyline more kid-friendly. In doing this, you are losing your adult audience who you should be catering to. Your best bet was years ago you should have made the game rated-M and allowed it to age with its playerbase. Instead, your greed as a company has shown as you’ve made desperate attempts to reach to younger audience, all while abandoning those who’ve made you the best selling MMORPG in the world. - And somehow, magically, these adults are still rooting for you and hoping you make a game they are proud and excited to introduce their children to.
I never thought I’d be this type of person on the forums trying to speak sense into Blizzard, but like pushed narratives here we unfortunately are. Myself, and many of your players are begging you to return World of Warcraft to what it was: A war-based game based on faction pettiness and world ending threats that caused factions to reluctantly join arms, all while spouting out funny pop-culture text to break tension. Please do not lose the identity of your game in an attempt to keep up with the jones’ or to spread your wings to a younger audience.
