Blizzard excited for fourth WOW expansion

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 25 October, 2010

Next-gen MMO dark till at least 2012.

Cataclysm isn't out till December, but gaming behemoth Blizzard is already excited about the idea it has for World of Warcraft's next expansion.

"It's pretty freakin' awesome," World of Warcraft senior producer John Lagrave told Game Informer at BlizzCon over the weekend.

"We've now got a central idea [for the next expansion] that makes me happy and gets me excited, and it makes everyone else happy and excited.

"When everybody gets happy and excited, we know we're on to something. We don't know if it's going to be the final thing, but we know something good is coming. Will it top Cataclysm? I think it's pretty freakin' awesome. I'm really hopeful."

Blizzard's produced a WOW expansion roughly every two years, so don't go holding your breath on this one.

Meanwhile, it looks like we're also in for a long wait before we see Blizzard's next-gen MMO.

Blizzard executive Rob Pardo told Gametrailers' Geoff Keighley that fans shouldn't expect to hear anything on the game – at all – until at least 2012.

We do know, however, that around 50 people are actively working on the MMO project.

Back in 2008 Blizzard boss Mike Morhaime confirmed, "It's not going to be a World of Warcraft sequel."

"We're not trying to replace World of Warcraft with this new MMO," he said. "We're trying to create a different massively multiplayer experience, and hopefully World of Warcraft will still be going strong when that one is released."

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (18) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Mike1980 #1 2 years ago

    The Myans predicted that 2012 was the end of the World...

    of Warcraft

  • Eraysor #2 2 years ago

    Obviously a pandaren themed expansion, nothing other than pandas can top blowing up the world.

  • Moz #3 2 years ago

    Interesting to hear, I was under the impression that they weren't doing big expansions any more and going for more regular but smaller content drops.

    Though not doing there next MMO until 2012 earliest is a risky move given that the next wave of potential competitor MMOs will likely start appearing end of 2011.

  • Skandalle #4 2 years ago

    Im interested in what the next MMO they are working on will be!
    More info please!

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #5 2 years ago

    @Moz - All the '3 expantions only' and 'cap is going to be 100', was a side comment way way back when the orginal game had only just come out (and a few dev teams ago), Blizzard nor anyone else was expecting WoW to explode in player numbers as it did, so all the statements above were rendered moot - WoW can easily continue on a kin to EQ1, which is still going after 11 yearsand this month was due another expantion, WoW will go on as long as there is profit in it, as what people forget is MMOs are ment to be long term investments for not only the devs but players as well.

  • Moz #6 2 years ago

    @Kremlik

    I realise most of that, but thought I'd read more recently that part of the Cata expansion makes adding content to game alot easier. So rather then having big 2 yearly paid for expansions they where going to do more regular fee expansion. Which could be a more profitable approach as it keeps people subscribing.

  • LazyDan #7 2 years ago

    If Cataclysm re-worked the world (of warcraft,) then I hope the big thing that makes them happy and excited is a complete re-working of the combat and physics engines. I think we're passed the days where home connections can't handle a bit of online ragdoll, and more fluid battles. No more of this static 'I cast fireball and fireball flies on a wire to the target going through everything in its path like a ghost until it hits the target, and target makes default "I'm hit" animation.' Less of a focus on numbers and pressing the same two buttons over and over again at the exact right speed in order to maximise your numbers would also be quite nice.

    Alternatively, a Warcraft/Hello Kitty crossover for the expansion would also suffice.

  • Spekingur #8 2 years ago

    Thundercats MMO...

  • shamblemonkee #9 2 years ago

    Emerald Dream / Nightmare obv.

  • Sanxo #10 2 years ago

    My money would be on a SC MMO. If they are only going to talk about it in 2012, then it is unlikely it will appear until 2014. SCII would probably be on the downward curve of investment by Blizz.

    SWTOR would have a head start but would have some serious competition. It would be enough tempt the carebear element out of Eve (where they are only barely tolerated) and would be a dagger through the heart of STO, which doesn't look like it can generate a critical mass.
    Edited by Sanxo at 25/10/10 @ 11:31

  • Optyk #11 2 years ago

    I predict either Sargeras or Emerald Dream

  • Scopeh #12 2 years ago

    @Optyk

    Too early for Sargeras, Blizzard wont put him in until subs start declining drastically. They know everyone will come back to kill the evilist of evile- demon- overload- titan-Thing.

  • Nephirion #13 2 years ago

    Milkman excited at the prospect of more milkage

  • actionfitz #14 2 years ago

    "Blizzard executive Rob Pardo told Gametrailers' Geoff Keighley that fans shouldn't expect to hear anything on the game – at all – until at least 2012.

    ...hopefully World of Warcraft will still be going strong when that one is released."

    I don't know guys...
    Blizzard have some of the most shit-hot artists in the business... but by 2012, wow will be nearly 10 year old tech.
    By then we'll have Guild Wars 2, Rift and ToR... and more.
    Perhaps for their next exp (after Cata) they will update to a new engine (kind of like EVE online did)... but I doubt they will be willing to go back and remodel / re-texture all their old assets...
    No doubt many of you will shout me down and talk about 'gameplay' and 'Story' and the character of the game - I agree these are still very strong features of wow...
    I just think that a fourth expansion in 2012 or so would be pushing it.
    Can see myself subscribing that long - i've been playing on and off since original Beta.

  • DjSolid_AGR #15 2 years ago

    Please let it be a SC MMO...

  • alientude #16 2 years ago

    The next-gen MMO is not going to be Starcraft, Warcraft, Diablo, Lost Vikings, or any other current Blizzard property. They've already stated that it's a new IP.

    http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/next-b...

  • Wyrm #17 2 years ago

    Really, really hope it's the Emerald Dream. It's such a fantastic story.

  • Felwyn #18 2 years ago

    cyberpunk demands an MMO