It’s been more than a decade since Blizzard graced the gaming world with a new real-time strategy (RTS) game. Questions arise: Is Blizzard simply uninterested in crafting another RTS, or have attempts been thwarted elsewhere? Turns out, the latter is more likely the case. Former StarCraft 2 production director Tim Morten and a cadre of unnamed Blizzard developers tirelessly pitched several RTS projects to Activision-Blizzard’s top brass before Morten departed to co-found Frost Giant, the studio behind the upcoming Stormgate, in 2020.
The proposals ranged from the highly anticipated WarCraft 4 to a rather unconventional Call of Duty RTS. However, Blizzard’s executives showed little appetite for greenlighting these projects. Their hope largely hinged on a potential boon from Warcraft 3: Reforged—a remaster that was supposed to pave the way for a new WarCraft 4. Unfortunately, the remaster turned out to be one of Blizzard’s most criticized releases, leading to massive player dissatisfaction and eventual refunds.
Blizzard’s Troubled History with RTS
Warcraft 3: Reforged could have been the holy grail for Blizzard’s return to RTS form. Alas, the game was riddled with bugs, performance issues, and missing features at launch. Despite well-intentioned patches and attempts to address these problems, the backlash was so intense that Blizzard had to offer refunds to placate its disgruntled player base. This mishap seemed to solidify the company’s reluctance to tread back into RTS territory.
The departure of key personnel has only diminished Blizzard’s capacity to undertake new RTS projects. Many developers who were pivotal to the success of StarCraft and WarCraft have since left to pursue separate endeavors, such as Frost Giant and Uncapped Games. The latter is helmed by former StarCraft 2 lead multiplayer designer David Kim, who’s now working on another RTS, Battle Aces.
Industry Reactions and Future Speculation
The departure of key figures combined with the Reforged debacle has left Blizzard without the talent or the will to dive back into the RTS genre. It’s not hard to imagine why Activision-Blizzard’s executives are hesitant. RTS games, despite their dedicated fan base, may appear as risky investments, especially in a landscape dominated by first-person shooters and battle royales.
Activision-Blizzard seems more interested in their other ventures, including a repeatedly abortive attempt at a StarCraft shooter. The corporate marriage with Microsoft might open new doors theoretically, but given recent mass layoffs, a renewed focus on producing a new RTS seems unlikely. What Microsoft intends to do with Blizzard’s dormant RTS potential remains a subject of speculation.
The Call of Duty RTS That Never Was
One cannot help but ponder what a Call of Duty RTS might look like. Imagining an RTS featuring two dozen Soap MacTavishes, each with overlapping voice lines, either evokes excitement or incredulity. While large-scale bases and mass production might not suit Call of Duty’s essence, a tactical, infantry-focused game could potentially hit the mark.
As amusing as the idea sounds, reality bites harder. The likelihood of such a game being greenlit by Microsoft seems dim, especially during an era marked by significant corporate restructuring and prioritization of projects with more proven commercial viability.
Closing Credits
Blizzard’s heyday as an RTS trailblazer might be behind us, for now. The Reforged debacle starkly demonstrates why the company seems reluctant to revisit its RTS roots. With key players now working on spiritual successors and a company focus seemingly elsewhere, Blizzard’s RTS renaissance remains a wistful memory more than an imminent reality. For those curious about what could have been, you might enjoy a peek into the ancient prototype of a Call of Duty RTS from Vicarious Visions below.
Source: GamesRadar
