Desperate to get another RTS off the ground, Blizzard developers reportedly pitched Warcraft 4 and a Call of Duty RTS that got shot down

GamesMMOWorld of WarcraftWarcraftDesperate to get another RTS off the ground, Blizzard developers reportedly pitched Warcraft 4 and a Call of Duty RTS that got shot downWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesMMOWorld of WarcraftWarcraftDesperate to get another RTS off the ground, Blizzard developers reportedly pitched Warcraft 4 and a Call of Duty RTS that got shot downWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment) Blizzard hasn’t dipped its toes into the real-time strategy waters in a hot minute, but it’s reportedly not for a lack of trying. Developers “desperate” for an RTS return have reportedly pitched everything from Warcraft 4 to a Call of Duty spin-off to no luck. The tidbit comes from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who recently held a Reddit AMA to promote his new book Play Nice in which he interviewed around 350 past and present employees from the storied company. In response to a question about Warcraft 4, Schreieraddsthe context that Blizzard’s last game in the genre, StarCraft 2, “did pretty well but it didn’t meet the company’s lofty expectations. StarcCraft 2 kicked things off strong with its initial 2010 release, but every entry in its trilogy of single-player expansions apparently “did worse than the last” before the whole project became free-to-play in 2017 “and again did well, but not Overwatch or Hearthstone well.” Former Blizzard production director Tim Morten and other developers were apparently “desperate” to kick start a new RTS at the company, Schreier says, “making all sorts of pitches and prototypes, from Warcraft 4 to even, wildly, a Call of Duty RTS pitch. But there was no appetite among Blizzard’s executive team for a new RTS game.” Warcraft 3: Reforged might have turned fortunes in the dev team’s favor, but it became an absolute disaster for the company - “the company’s first bad game and a blemish in Blizzard’s history” - which probably didn’t do much to convince Blizzard’s c-suite. The genre’s main champion at the company, Morten, and some developers on his team left around 2020 to eventually release an RTS of their own called Stormgate, leaving the fate of an eventual Warcraft 4 in limbo. Schreier mentions thatMicrosoft’s acquisition may have opened the door for an RTS release to do well on Game Pass. The company is certainly on a strategy game kick with Age of Empires, Age of Mythology Retold, and Ara: History Untold. Blizzard is reportedly “incubating” a StarCraft shooter after scrapping two other RTS spin-offs. 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movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew 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