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 resource diversion and creative team burnout, citing it as a contributing factor to veteran designer Chris Metzen's 2016 exit.
Kotick highlighted Metzen's significant creative contributions to the company, stating, "Chris Metzen was — and is, to me — the heart and soul of creativity of the company." He explained that the film, a pre-existing deal Activision inherited, severely strained Blizzard's development resources. The project's demands, including involvement in casting and on-set work, significantly distracted game developers, leading to delays in World of Warcraft expansions and patches.
While the Warcraft movie's international success, particularly in China, generated $439 million for Legendary Pictures, it ultimately fell short of expectations due to its substantial budget and underperformance in North America ($47 million domestically). This financial shortfall, coupled with the creative disruption, significantly impacted the company.
Kotick revealed that Metzen, deeply affected by the film's production, left to establish a board game company. Kotick subsequently attempted to persuade Metzen to return as a consultant, but Metzen's dissatisfaction with planned expansions led to a request for complete overhauls. Despite Metzen's eventual return, their subsequent collaboration remained limited, with Kotick deferring to Metzen's expertise. The positive reception of the latest World of Warcraft expansion, praised in a 9/10 review on our site as a revitalizing experience for the long-running MMO, suggests a successful outcome from this collaboration.
