World of Warcraft is one of the highest-selling MMORPGs across the globe. Suddenly, this game comes under the magnifying glass. Is WoW coming to Xbox? Fans are quite confused about whether they can enjoy the game on a gaming console. What triggered the news, by the way?
It’s nothing but Microsoft’s confirmed acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, the developers of World of Warcraft. Since Microsoft is going to hold the rights to World of Warcraft, fans got interested in the title’s next move. They think that the game is going to be released on Xbox, as well.
But, is WoW coming to Xbox and other gaming consoles? What do the developers think about Xbox releases of World of Warcraft? Let’s find out.
When did Microsoft Purchase Activision Blizzard?
Activision Blizzard has been suffering from a reputation crisis. The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard alleging discrimination, retaliation, and abuse against its female employees.
Although Activision Blizzard has denied all the allegations, 20 female employees left the workspace. The developer company started defending itself against lawsuits and boycotting games. On the other hand, the company confirmed that the employees get a favoured circumstance for livelihood at the workspace.
However, controversies seemed to be never-ending for such a reputed developer. Now, Microsoft acquires Activision-Blizzard with a purchase of a whopping $68.7 billion. That’s huge, and with this purchase, Microsoft will have franchises of some classic games in the industry.
Phil Spencer, the Microsoft Gaming CEO, confirmed on 18 January 2022 that Microsoft will acquire Activision Blizzard. World of Warcraft is one of them. Among other title acquisitions, Overwatch and Call of Duty are worth mentioning. Hopefully, the situation will improve at Activision-Blizzard with the acquisition by Microsoft.
However, the last few expansions of World of Warcraft weren’t satisfactory enough. According to players, Shadowlands and Battle for Azeroth weren’t up to the mark. In such a situation, players think upgrading gaming consoles’ gaming capabilities would help WoW grow. Is WoW coming to Xbox? Check out the next section for detailed information.
Is WoW Coming to Xbox, Finally?
Since many AAA-rated gaming titles have been released on different platforms, we could expect the same to happen to WoW. But, unfortunately, there has been no confirmation from WoW developers regarding the Xbox launch. However, we can’t say that it’s the final decision.
As Microsoft acquired WoW, players feel excited and are waiting for it to appear on Xbox, PlayStation, and other gaming consoles. Since Microsoft owns Xbox and now, World of Warcraft, there’s nothing wrong with demanding a link between them.
On the other hand, World of Warcraft completes 18 years in the gaming industry this year. The previous year was a tough year for Activision-Blizzard. Still, they haven’t thought of porting WoW on gaming consoles.
Are there any chances that WoW will hit Xbox? Well, Xbox officials have added that they are looking for opportunities to release as many Activision-Blizzard games as possible with PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass.
And, this statement is a ray of hope for those who like gaming consoles over PCs. On the other hand, Elder Scrolls Online is on Xbox Game Pass after Microsoft owned this title. However, ESO is available with only the base game and a few extra bonuses. The title still lacks advanced features on Xbox Game Pass.
Therefore, it’s predictable what is going to happen with World of Warcraft. Even with Xbox, we might experience it growing gradually, just like Elder Scrolls Online and other MMOs.
What are the Challenges with WoW Regarding its Release on Xbox?
Is WoW coming to Xbox? Well, not yet, but we are optimistic that we will see this title on Xbox soon. However, the gameplay and mechanics should be console-friendly. Otherwise, players would face difficulties in achieving something or winning a level.
If you notice the game mechanics of World of Warcraft, then you will realise that it infuses mechanics that depend mostly on mice and keyboards. Releasing the title on Xbox or any other console should have the required mechanism.
Otherwise, console players will be on the backfoot compared to PC players. On the other hand, we don’t think WoW would share servers for PCs, consoles, etc., in its early days. PC users will have an unfair advantage in the game if the pool combines both PC and console players.
When is WoW Coming to Xbox?
The developers of WoW haven’t declared anything about the query, ‘Is WoW coming to Xbox?’. If Microsoft makes any decision regarding WoW on Xbox, it will take a considerable amount of time. Most probably, WoW is not appear on Xbox until the second half of the next year or 2023.
Currently, World of Warcraft operates on Battle.net. To make the title a part of the Xbox, it should be on Xbox Game Pass. For example, WoW should be available on Microsoft Store. Not to mention, this is a time-consuming process.
After all, we can hope that WoW will overcome all the challenges one by one, gradually. In addition, World of Warcraft is more likely to appear on PC for the first time with Xbox Game Pass.
WoW Won’t be PC-Exclusive in the Future
That’s quite evident with Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. The past steps and activities of Microsoft have shown us that Microsoft doesn’t believe in suspense and waiting when it comes to something exciting and revolutionary. Microsoft does quite the opposite of what Sony follows.
Is WoW coming to Xbox? We think that the answer requires just a matter of time. After all, PC games don’t make huge profits like console games do. Therefore, Microsoft won’t keep World of Warcraft locked in the dynasty of PC gaming only. We hope that the PC version of the Xbox Game Pass of WoW will hit the floor in the summer of 2023.
