7 Games Blizzard Should Make to Rock the Industry

Games We Hope Blizzard Makes Next

Blizzcon is just around the corner and, with last year’s being very World of Warcraft-themed, fans are excited to see what Blizzard has up its sleeve. While initial rumors implied that the convention would be focusing on Diablo, Blizzard responded to this claim by cooling hype around the IP. Despite this, rumors ranging from Diablo 4 to a new MMO have flooded the internet. Blizzard has many varied IPs at its disposal, so we decided to list 7 games we’d love to see the legendary studio develop next.

Diablo 3

Diablo 3’s legacy will not live up to the series’s well-remembered second iteration: Diablo 2. While Diablo 3 was a good continuation for the series, the game offered veterans of the series little to no reason to stay for the long-term. Path of Exile has largely taken over the genre, with the majority of Diablo personalities moving over to that more popular, readily updated freeware. Diablo 4, to put it simply, needs to capture the personality that made the second title so great.

With Diablo 3 likely receiving its last port for Nintendo Switch, Blizzard needs to show some love to Diablo. Rumors circulated for a while that this Blizzcon would be very Diablo themed, but the studio has disappointingly downplayed these expectations. Despite that, our fingers are still crossed – we want to grind some RNG loot, Bliz

Warcraft

With Battle for Azeroth being a divisive expansion, now seems to be a perfect time to gradually stagger World of Warcraft’s domination of the Warcraft property. Warcraft 3 launched all the way back in 2002, setting the foundation for the world’s biggest MMO game. Besides its stellar gameplay, it was perhaps the best story ever told through the RTS mold.

A new Warcraft title would not only rejuvenate interest in the franchise as a whole but would also set an explicit break between the MMO’s events and a newer, fresher take on Azeroth. The addition of newer technology, design choices, and narrative luxuries of modern gaming would allow the studio to make a Warcraft that delivers on all lore and gameplay fronts.

Blizzard is in a difficult position as a new mainline Warcraft title would cool any long-term interest in its MMO. If the company was ever to make a sequel to its most famous game, then a new Warcraft title would be a prerequisite. With the way World of Warcraft’s lore, player reception, and reported subscription numbers are going, then that may be sooner rather than later.

If Warcraft 4 is off the table, then a Warcraft 3 remaster would certainly satisfy many modern RTS palettes. While the story has its merits, modern servers, communities, and technical architecture could push Warcraft 3 higher than its ever been. The game, even on release in 2002, had a strong custom game component, map editing, and online community. The custom games even birthed DOTA 2, one of the biggest games on the market today.

The game has received some massive patches on Battle.net, sparking rumors of a possible remaster. Instead of building a new Warcraft from the ground up, Blizzard could remasters its greatest title to re-instill some of those old LAN party memories.

Overwatch

Overwatch is in decline. Despite being one of the biggest selling videogames of all time, the title is hemorrhaging consistent players. New champions, patch changes, balancing issues, and general lethargy from the player base is not helping. Despite Overwatch League’s impressive gains in e-Sports, the title needs a refresh to reconnect with some of its lost player base. The best way to do this, instead of a traditional sequel, is through a spin-off. A series of new maps, champions, modes, or even an addition of a much-requested single-player mode would pave over the game’s current pitfalls.

It isn’t like Blizzard to make a sequel or a spin-off this early; typically the studio likes to bleed its properties dry. However, with the game’s steady decline, combined with its resistance to follow FPS industry trends, a spin-off or sequel may be necessary.

When Blizzard is discussed, its adaptive powers tend to be underrated. When MOBAs were the big thing, the company recognized the small gap in the market between DOTA 2 and League of Legends, and exposed it. Heroes of the Storm, despite not being as successful as its main two rivals, stands as a testament for Blizzard’s versatility.

The big trend at the moment is Battle Royale, which wouldn’t exactly fit in with Overwatch’s design. Heroes of the Storm, which serves as a greatest hits compilation of the studio’s most memorable characters, can be adapted to many titles, not just MOBAs. Seeing as Battle Royale is the new trend, Blizzard could hop on the trend, adapting its star-studded property around the third-person action genre. Other considerations could be a fighting game, but who doesn’t want to play Blackout-lite with Thrall and Diablo?

What would Blizzard’s take on, say, the Souls formula look like? Or if they pushed for an open-world title? Or a narrative, Telltale-like adventure game? The possibilities for a studio with the resources of Blizzard is endless, so it’s a little disappointing to see them neglect the potential of single-player titles. The internet would literally explode if they announced a third-person Diablo game or a Skyrim-style game set in the Warcraft universe.

Blizzard risks falling into repetition and tautology with its recent output. If it was to re-frame its current properties into new genres, particularly single-player, then a lot of misplaced fans and interest could be revived. Primarily, Diablo finds a lot of overlap with Souls games, especially considering both series epic boss battles and open-ended character customization. Instead of Diablo 4, the usage of the Diablo property for a new, demanding genre would be more exciting.

It’s unlikely, sure. MMOs, particularly successful ones, last for a long, long time. Take Final Fantasy XI, for example, which still boasts a subscription fee and regular updates. MMO titles like Ultima Online and Everquest are still going, too, so why would Blizzard intentionally kill World of Warcraft with a direct competitor? Battle for Azeroth, World of Warcraft’s expansion, seems to be leaking subscribers, with it looking like the least popular expansion in the game’s history.

Starcraft

Starcraft hasn’t seen much love, though. The RTS genre isn’t as popping as it was when the game released in 2010, so it would be a real surprise to see Blizzard re-declare its dominance of MMOs outside of Warcraft. Starcraft’s three factions, varied classes, deep lore, and established fanbase makes it the perfect property for Blizzard to adapt.

Despite the unlikelihood of this, we all secretly hope Blizzard eventually bites the bullet and makes a brand-new MMO title. With a new engine, a new set of lore, and a fresh start, a lot of the studio’s lingering issues would be swept away. However, this is unlikely, especially concerning Blizzard’s recent design choices for World of Warcraft: can a consumer trust a studio with a new MMO title? Could Blizzard recapture the World of Warcraft magic under a new banner? Signs point to no, but if they do, another 15 years of MMO dominance is assured.