Over a decade has passed since renowned gaming giant Blizzard, revered creators of the popular StarCraft and WarCraft series, unveiled a fresh real-time strategy (RTS) game. However, the lapse should not be confused with a lack of enthusiasm. On the contrary, a number of the developers at Blizzard have demonstrated immense interest in making a comeback in the genre.
Several reports reveal that former StarCraft 2 production director Tim Morten, and a few undisclosed colleagues, made extensive attempts to launch a new RTS endeavor. Their propositions included game concepts like WarCraft 4 and even a real-time strategy adaptation of Call of Duty. However, despite their concerted efforts, the projects did not go through and Morten eventually left Blizzard to co-found Frost Giant, the company behind the creation of Stormgate, in 2020.
The primary source of this information is Jason Schreier, a well-respected gaming journalist known for his extensive reporting and treasure trove of insider information. Schreier took to Reddit, inviting an array of gaming enthusiasts to discuss his upcoming book, entitled “Play Nice,” which delves deep into Blizzard’s illustrious past and is set to release on October 8th. It was there he revealed that Morten and his team had strived for years to initiate a new RTS project, putting forth a variety of pitches and prototypes with no success.
According to Schreier, there seemed to be little appetite among Blizzard’s executive suite for a new RTS endeavor. The team harbored the hope that the successful reception of Warcraft 3: Reforged might set the stage for a fourth installment in the Warcraft series. However, the launch of Reforged was marred with numerous issues, like an abundance of glitches, performance hitches, and key missing features, leading to it being considered a negative mark on Blizzard’s otherwise pristine record.
Reforged was met with harsh criticism, with Blizzard eventually offering refunds to unsatisfied players. One reviewer in 2020 suggested that while the original Warcraft III sustained consistent gameplay over the years, a remastered version seemed eagerly awaited. However, the outcomes of Warcraft III: Reforged were far from expectation, with many aspects of the game falling short, leaving some players wishing its release had been avoided.
The failures associated with Reforged may explain Blizzard management’s reluctance towards investing in new RTS projects. Additionally, the departure of many established personnel who were integral to the development of the earlier StarCraft and WarCraft games could also be a contributing factor.
Several former Blizzard developers are now creating spiritually similar games in their newly formed ventures such as Frost Giant and Uncapped Games, the latter founded by former StarCraft 2 lead multiplayer designer David Kim. Despite these shifts, Blizzard continues trying to realize the recurrent dream of a StarCraft shooter.
A real-time strategy game built on the Call of Duty franchise could potentially be an exciting venture. An RTS version of Call of Duty focusing on infantry tactics could offer a fun and engaging gameplay experience, albeit if it came to fruition given the industry’s recent trends, including several layoffs. Nevertheless, the company that now owns Blizzard, Microsoft, appears completely invested in the continual success of Call of Duty.
As we ponder on what gaming surprises await us in future, it might be interesting to revisit a prototype of a COD RTS game created by Vicarious Visions over a dozen years ago. The prototype provided a glimpse into a tactical adaptation of the Call of Duty series and continues to pique the curiosity of fans worldwide.
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