How healthy is World of Warcraft's future?

[Divada]

Simple enough question folks: How healthy is WoW's future?
Things to consider:

• BFA & Shadowlands Reception
  I know both expansions have defenders, but the numbers don't lie. Whether it's gameplay, systems or lore, both expansions have had major issues with a significant amount of the playerbase.
• The Toxic/Abusive Workplace of Activision-Blizzard
  I don't need to go into this. It's beyond awful and utterly unacceptable. We all know it.
• The sanitization/bonfire of content devs no longer find acceptable.
  Removing lore, jokes, flirts, artwork has basically set the playerbase on fire. Once again, this has an impact on engagement.

Active Thread Warnings:
This thread needs to settle down. Discuss the topic without rancor, insults, or further invective.

[Romanthony]

I dont think they removed lore? They just changed a few naming things. But i do think they are going abit overboard, with the jokes and flirts. Still baffles me about the Consorts change

[Thrif]

It honestly feels like it's falling apart big time right now. I wouldn't call it maintenance mode yet, there are probably still a lot of players who enjoy it, but they are definitely pushing a lot of people away as well.

If they want to be a significant force on the market again they will need to make an actually good game, and sooner rather than later. If 10.0 is another BFA/Shadowlands the game is done for.

[Divada]

I dont think they removed lore? They just changed a few naming things. But i do think they are going abit overboard, with the jokes and flirts. Still baffles me about the Consorts change

Apologies, I should have wrote changed lore. But you could argue that some changes, like the aforementioned Consorts, could be viewed as a removal of lore.

[Kumorii]

The thing is that this removal of things and their new statement about how in-game stuff are supposed to reflect their principles, doesn't exactly give high hopes for future content. Lore and story already has a problem, now imagine it becomes even MORE one note.

However, I can't say I'm not curious. I really am... I want to see if they manage to create something captivating or if it just falls flat like I expect it to do.

[Lochton]

Simple enough question folks: How healthy is WoW's future?
Things to consider:

• BFA & Shadowlands Reception
  I know both expansions have defenders, but the numbers don't lie. Whether it's gameplay, systems or lore, both expansions have had major issues with a significant amount of the playerbase.
• The Toxic/Abusive Workplace of Activision-Blizzard
  I don't need to go into this. It's beyond awful and utterly unacceptable. We all know it.
• The sanitization/bonfire of content devs no longer find acceptable.
  Removing lore, jokes, flirts, artwork has basically set the playerbase on fire. Once again, this has an impact on engagement.

I'd want to make a different vote option. Currently, it is in trouble but I believe good things are coming.

[Farora]

Video games are a product of creativity. It needs a good environment to flourish. Blizzard is literally the opposite of that. Bad work floor atmosphere seemingly, lawsuits and censorship of their own art. That will not magically result is something worthwhile. Wow is dead.

[Jshadowhunter]

I think we'll have to start calling out CONSUMERS and BRANDERS, who will defend anything at this point just because "this brand means everything to them" and they feel they have this obligation to protect its honor. They're little more than simps.

[Varodoc]

Ah Yes, I truly believe that WoW's future has never looked better.

Naturally, WoW's future looks better now than it did in Classic, TBC, WotLK, MoP, or Legion. Of course.

[Drusin]

I don't know the context of "healthy" but I do hope wow sticks around if for nothing more than the entertainment some players provide on the forums lol.

[Hitei]

I think we'll have to start calling out CONSUMERS and BRANDERS, who will defend anything at this point just because "this brand means everything to them" and they feel they have this obligation to protect its honor. They're little more than simps.

Or, y'know, they just find the thing enjoyable.

[Ragerre]

Imagine Danuser trying to squeeze out new lore for the new expac. Crawling on the eggshells.
He now has to tick all the boxes. No excuses.
He probably takes pleasure in that but then again, you never know when one of the junior designers decides xir is offended by... I don't know. Tentacles of the Void Lords.

[CalamityHeart]

I dont think they removed lore? They just changed a few naming things. But i do think they are going abit overboard, with the jokes and flirts. Still baffles me about the Consorts change

The change from Twin Consorts to Twin Empyreans was actually one of those changes where I was like "Cool, I get it. That's a decent change." The name fits them a lot better. Struck me as odd that a pair of enchanted stone statues, literal weapons, were referred to as 'consorts', but it was never really a big deal. The change in itself isn't that big a deal, either, but it just comes across better, and the new name much better embodies what they actually are, imo.

Most of the rest of the changes have been kinda silly but mostly innocuous. I feel like I need to withhold my opinion on the removal of jokes and flirts until I see what they're replaced with, if they're replaced. I'm of the mind that if they were going to remove them, they should wait until they can be replaced right away, but eh.

[ldev]

I do think WoW is in trouble, but certainly not because of some flirt or spit emotes removal FUKING KEK.

[Blackmist]

Bleak as fuck, tbh.

The WoW Killer finally arrived after 15 years, and to nobody's surprise, it was WoW itself.

I'm not playing this game because I enjoy it. I'm playing because I enjoy raiding with a bunch of people I've been raiding with for close to 15 years for some of them. Our current guild split from another over 10 years ago. I said then that it was my last roll of the dice and I meant it.

It's not the systems, or the transmogs or mounts or gameplay that sustained me for 15 years. It was people. If they're not there, why would I want to be? None of the recent changes or announced changes really do anything about that.

All the systems in this game are designed to maximise shareholder value rather than fun, and I'm finally ready to let go.

[Accendor]

It honestly feels like it's falling apart big time right now. I wouldn't call it maintenance mode yet, there are probably still a lot of players who enjoy it, but they are definitely pushing a lot of people away as well.

If they want to be a significant force on the market again they will need to make an actually good game, and sooner rather than later. If 10.0 is another BFA/Shadowlands the game is done for.

I'll go so far as to say that 10.0 has to be significantly better than legion so save the game. They need to reinvent the game now and nail it first time.
Looks pretty bad.

[potis]

Lol at people acting like its the end of the world.

Watch all these complainers resub on the major patch, buy token because they cant do anything and need to get carried and then pretend they arent doing it.

And then watch the next expansion release how all these complainers reappear in drones, take 5 months to do things they are supposed to do in 2 weeks, and back to complaining.

And yeah, Blizzard has lower MAUS because they havent released a new game in years, wait for the OW2/D4/WoW expansion period and speak again.

And no, i am not defending Blizzard, but going against the masses of hypocrites.

[Shadowferal]

Pretty sure the game has been on life support for a while now.

[Mendzia]

It is at least a few years too late.

[MoanaLisa]

Blizzard is a billion-dollar company. It's fine.

The game still easily pays for its upkeep and development. It's fine too although there are system design issues that need to be addressed.

Anyone thinking that this tempest in a teapot about paintings, emotes, flirts and the rest is going to have much of any effect on revenues is going to be disappointed. Only the very few paying attention to this give a damn about any of it.