World of Warcraft lead thinks the MMO will still be "kicking" in 10 years, but despite having ideas for "the very long run," Blizzard is currently focusing "on the next 5 years"

1. Games
2. MMO Games
3. World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft lead thinks the MMO will still be "kicking" in 10 years, but despite having ideas for "the very long run," Blizzard is currently focusing "on the next 5 years" News By Anthony McGlynn published 3 December 2025

"We're going to be guided by our community"

Comments (0) ()

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Blizzard)

With World of Warcraft: Midnight just around the corner, one of the central developers behind the ever-popular MMORPG has taken a second to reflect on what the next decade may look like. Hopefully still king of the MMO space, he says, though Blizzard's projections aren't quite as long-term.

"Still around, still kicking, I think hopefully, still at the forefront of the genre, and really, you know, defining what it means to be a persistent online community in a world," game director Ion Hazzikostas tells tells ScreenRant, asked where he sees the game in 10 years. "But I think right now, I would say our focus is on the next five years."

He mentions the team has "ideas" for "the very long run," but they always leave space for players to show them what should get attention. "We're going to be guided by our community and the response we see to the choices we make every step of the way," he states. "So it's almost impossible to predict where that's going to lead us, because, you know, humans are uncertain, if nothing else."

You may like

• After 21 years of feeling at home in World of Warcraft, Midnight finally gives me a real place to call home
• Blizzard says removal of popular World of Warcraft combat mods "needs to happen" in Midnight to "level the playing field" for the long-running MMO
• World of Warcraft lead assures worried MMO raiders that Blizzard removing add-ons is "to set ourselves up for being able to build content that will better serve all of our players"

Midnight | Intercession Cinematic | World of Warcraft - YouTube Watch On

The introduction of housing – an addition long in the offing – will provide key insight here, as Blizzard sees what people enjoy about the implementation, and what can and should be replicated in the future. "We're going to be looking very closely, starting, just in a few weeks, all the way through the net launch and beyond, to understand how we can best empower our players," Hazzikostas continues.

"How they're looking to use housing, looking to connect with each other through this feature, and that's really going to guide what our roadmap looks like, you know, in the years to come. And the same is true for other facets of WoW," he finishes.

Besides the power to buy your own home in Azeroth, Midnight is sending shockwaves through WoW by deactivating a variety of combat mods, as Blizzard aims to replace them with official mechanics. The times, they are a-changin', and it seems like the devs are just waiting to see what direction the wind blows them next.

World of Warcraft: Midnight's riff on Monolith's The Lord of the Rings Nemesis System was spurred on by a War Within feature Blizzard doubted: "We weren't sure how people would react"

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Activision Blizzard CATEGORIES PC Gaming Platforms Anthony McGlynnSocial Links NavigationContributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more After 21 years of feeling at home in World of Warcraft, Midnight finally gives me a real place to call home    Blizzard says removal of popular World of Warcraft combat mods "needs to happen" in Midnight to "level the playing field" for the long-running MMO    World of Warcraft lead assures worried MMO raiders that Blizzard removing add-ons is "to set ourselves up for being able to build content that will better serve all of our players"    World of Warcraft director says Blizzard has no plans to bring the MMO to consoles: "Our focus remains on the PC-based experience"    World of Warcraft: Midnight's riff on Monolith's The Lord of the Rings Nemesis System was spurred on by a War Within feature Blizzard doubted: "We weren't sure how people would react"    As New World dies thanks to Amazon, ex World of Warcraft lead thanks the devs who made it for "trying to keep the MMO dream alive" as he struggles with his own new MMORPG    Latest in World of Warcraft After 21 years of feeling at home in World of Warcraft, Midnight finally gives me a real place to call home    World of Warcraft's $90 dinosaur mount is back again for a limited time ahead of Midnight's launch, and WoW Tokens have already sold out: "Costs more than the expansion. Company is trash."    Blizzard says removal of popular World of Warcraft combat mods "needs to happen" in Midnight to "level the playing field" for the long-running MMO    World of Warcraft: Midnight's riff on Monolith's The Lord of the Rings Nemesis System was spurred on by a War Within feature Blizzard doubted: "We weren't sure how people would react"    World of Warcraft housing finally launches in early access this December for Midnight expansion owners, giving Blizzard's MMO a feature seen in the likes of Final Fantasy 14 for years    World of Warcraft: Midnight release date reportedly set for February as Collector's Edition details leak    Latest in News World of Warcraft lead thinks the MMO will still be "kicking" in 10 years, but despite having ideas for "the very long run," Blizzard is currently focusing "on the next 5 years"    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says Xbox Game Pass "lowered that barrier of entry" for his turn-based RPG, a genre that "might put people who prefer more real-time action games off"    First teaser for new horror movie with 97% Rotten Tomatoes score sees a music store employee get more than he bargained for after making a mysterious wish    Palworld lead says "a very story-based" spin on the survival game is possible, as he knows "a lot of creature collector fans are used to story games" more like Pokemon    The Elder Scrolls 6 probably isn't making an appearance at The Game Awards, and once again, the RPG community is begging Bethesda for literally anything: "Please, Todd"    Red Dead Redemption's free Xbox Series X upgrade is currently broken with fans baffled after being asked to buy the whole game again, but Rockstar is "working with Microsoft to resolve it"    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
2. 2Sleep Awake review: "An all-timer horror premise is let down by tired stealth that I feel like I'm sleepwalking through"
3. 3Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers"
4. 4Routine review: "This imperfect but wonderfully atmospheric moon-based horror leaves a strong impression"
5. 5Marvel Cosmic Invasion review: "Excellent '90s-tinged superhero brawling across a punchy campaign falls just short of arcade bliss"

1. 1Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
2. 2Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
3. 3The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
4. 4Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
5. 5Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"

1. 1Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
2. 2Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
3. 3The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
4. 4IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
5. 5Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"