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 several factors, including its diversion of resources and its contribution to the burnout of key personnel.
He specifically cited the departure of veteran designer Chris Metzen in 2016, describing Metzen as "the heart and soul of creativity" at the company. Kotick stated that the movie's production, initiated before Activision's acquisition of Blizzard, significantly diverted resources and distracted developers. This led to delays in World of Warcraft expansions and patches.
"It took a lot of resources and distracted [developers at Blizzard]," Kotick explained. "They were helping with casting, they were on set... it was a huge distraction. Our expansions were late. Patches weren't getting done on time."
While the Warcraft movie failed to achieve box office success in North America ($47 million domestically), its international performance, particularly in China, resulted in a global gross of $439 million. Despite this, Legendary Pictures considered it a financial failure due to its substantial budget.
Kotick revealed that Metzen, deeply affected by the film's production, eventually left to establish a board game company. Kotick later attempted to persuade Metzen to return as a consultant, but Metzen expressed dissatisfaction with the planned expansions, advocating for their complete overhaul. Their subsequent collaboration was minimal, with Kotick stating he primarily allowed Metzen creative freedom.
The positive reception to the most recent World of Warcraft expansion, earning a 9/10 rating in a review by [Grit/another publication - needs clarification from original source], suggests a return to form for the franchise. Kotick expressed confidence in the quality of the upcoming expansion.
