Activision Blizzard recently unveiled the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Dragonflight, and since then, many questions about the constantly evolving MMO have emerged. One thought on the minds of some World of Warcraft fans is whether the game will end up on consoles like Final Fantasy 14.
Many World of Warcraft fans have wanted the popular MMO on consoles since the beginning, and over the years, despite gaining significant traction, that never happened. Rumors started to spread when gamepad controls were implemented into the game with World of Warcraft: Shadowlands' alpha, but despite some controller support, the game won't be moved to console hardware. While speaking to IGN, World of Warcraft Director Ion Hazzikostas shut down the rumors when asked if the MMO would make the jump to gaming consoles in the near future.
During a recent interview with Ion Hazzikostas, IGN asked if the Activision Blizzard game would be receiving a console port in the future. Hazzikostas spoke candidly about the future of World of Warcraft by stating the game is "designed from the ground up for PC." Another problem with playing World of Warcraft on consoles is the MMO's reliance on add-ons to customize the experience for each player, which Hazzikostas speaks to. Although add-ons exist for some console games, such as Fallout 4 and Skyrim, there may be add-on related issues, according to Hazzikostas. "I think we've just been looking at the ways in which add-ons have at times felt increasingly required."
Maintaining his honest tone, Hazzikostas admits that World of Warcraft players often recommend others download add-ons to change aspects of the game, and there are add-ons like Deadly Boss Mods that have become a staple of most raid groups. According to the Game Director, Activision Blizzard wants to do better for its community, and this is reflected in UI changes highlighted during the recent Dragonflight expansion reveal. Alluding to the add-ons that make World of Warcraft playable with a gamepad, Hazzikostas didn't discuss if the gamepad additions with the Shadowlands alpha will be improved upon in the future.
Most players that have tried World of Warcraft with a controller have done so with the aid of add-ons in the past, but some have experimented with the Steam Controller in an effort to find the optimal gamepad for its layout. Hopeful Xbox players spread rumors that World of Warcraft would eventually come to Xbox in competition with Final Fantasy 14 since Activision Blizzard was acquired by Microsoft, but that's likely not the case, given Hazzikostas' statement. However, while Hazzikostas has stated that World of Warcraft for consoles isn't currently in the works, the MMO may still eventually make its way there in the future given, its longevity.
World of Warcraft is available right now for PC.
Source: IGN