Bobby Kotick Criticizes Warcraft Film as 'One of the Worst Movies Ever'

In a revealing interview on Grit, former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who led the company for 32 years before stepping down in December 2023, didn't mince words about Universal's 2016 adaptation of their iconic game, Warcraft. Kotick labeled it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen," and expressed that the film's production was a significant distraction for Blizzard's development team, impacting their work on World of Warcraft.

Kotick highlighted the departure of veteran designer Chris Metzen in 2016, attributing it to burnout exacerbated by the movie project. "Chris Metzen was — and is, to me — the heart and soul of creativity of the company," Kotick stated, noting that Metzen took the film's failure personally. The movie, which Kotick believed was a bad idea from the start, had already been greenlit before Activision's acquisition of Blizzard. The diversion of resources to the film led to delays in World of Warcraft expansions and patches, according to Kotick.

Despite its domestic underperformance, grossing just $47 million in North America, Warcraft became a temporary blockbuster internationally, particularly in China, amassing $439 million overall. Yet, Legendary Pictures considered it a failure due to its high budget. Director Duncan Jones had ambitious plans for a trilogy, aiming to fulfill Durotan's promise to find his people a new home, but these plans were ultimately shelved.

After leaving to start a board game company, Kotick "begged" Metzen to return as a consultant. However, Metzen was critical of the plans for the next two expansions, suggesting a complete overhaul. Kotick admitted to minimal interaction with Metzen upon his return, respecting his expertise in game design. He praised Metzen's influence on the latest expansion, World of Warcraft: The War Within, which received a stellar 9/10 in our review, describing it as "the best World of Warcraft has been on all fronts in many years, making this two-decade-old MMO feel fresh and thrilling again."