We've been hoping to see an Xbox version of World of Warcraft for a long time now (in fact, it looked like it was going to happen at one point in 2020), but it seems Blizzard has no plans to introduce a console version anytime soon.
Speaking to IGN recently, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas was specifically asked whether a console version was in the works due to the planned UI overhaul coming soon, but shot down any suggestion of that very quickly:
"Nah, I think World of Warcraft is a game designed from the ground up for the PC."
"I think we've just been looking at the ways in which add-ons have at times felt increasingly required, or like the first thing you do when someone comes to the game for the first time is tell them, 'Hey, go download this add-on pack and move this stuff around' and we want to do better for our players."
You have to wonder at this point whether there's any hope of World of Warcraft ever reaching consoles, even despite Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard — come on Phil Spencer, make it happen for us!
The game is back in the news at the moment due to the recent reveal of the Dragonlight expansion, which doesn't yet have a release date. Wrath of the Lich King Classic will also be dropping later this year. Exciting times... if you're on PC.
Do you think World of Warcraft will ever make it to Xbox? Let us know down in the comments below.
[source ign.com]
Comments 19
This I would not care but I would had a go at FF XIV if available on xbox
@Rural-Bandit I believe (not certain though) there has to be a workable controller implementation regardless. I think this is one of the reasons we don't see more K+M titles on Xbox.
@Balta666 yeah, played it a lot: it is a great game in my opinion, designed for consoles.
@themightyant
For WoW? Can confirm. But this has been years ago. Before cataclysm. I used to play WoW with a controller. I'd use an Xbox controller with the program called XPadder to map the controller to keyboard input.
The basics layout was easy enough.
Right Trigger- Left mouse click
Left Trigger - Right mouse click
Left stick - WSAD
Right Stick - camera rotation. Clicking it enabled a free moving mouse cursor.
From there ABXY we're mapped to skills.
Due to the number of skills, pretty much every other button was a mutator key. Kind of like how Elite Dangerous did it.
ABXY are certain skills, then holding a direction on the cross pad or one of the bumpers would then change ABXY to a different set.
Ultimately this allowed a total of 32 skills to be mapped to ABXY.
Made a little chart to show it too which could easily be added to the UI directly.
It worked well for me. Though I can see someone having issues. Especially jumping straight into a high level character from the get go instead of starting at level 1.
@InterceptorAlpha I meant for Xbox in general.
Never played WoW or any MMORPG... just don't trust myself, think I might abandon life. Skyrim was bad enough, actually grew a beard by accident and became a true Nord
@Balta666 There have been rumors about a xbox port for ffxiv for ages now. Last October game director Yoshi P said they are having positive talks with Xbox about an Xbox version. If a version comes i don't expect it before the end of endwalker or at 7.0, but i definitely believe an xbox version will come one day, just have to be patient.
@Lavalera let's hope so but meanwhile my Steam deck will arrive
@themightyant WoW has native controller support it was patched it a while back. No idea how well it works though as I haven't played wow in years
When I did play you could use a controller via an add-on and it worked fairly well from what I recall.
Won’t be his call once merger goes through. Phil will likely make it everywhere gamepass is available
An xbsx update, that allows dual boot. So we can use the xbsx as a console or pc. Then we could just hook up kb&m and treat it as such....or not, it's 4/21, ima go smoke some more.
Personally I'd like to see some of the assets from World of Warcraft re-used in single-player spin-off games that focus on the lore and history of the series. And if these games were exclusive to console and PC Game Pass it would benefit Blizzard by generating more interest in the online game, while also benefitting Microsoft by generating more interest in Game Pass.
I can't see them bringing current WoW to console as there is 20 years of coding that would need to be redone to port it over and alot of it is lost due to staff leaving and what not. They would have to start from the ground up. However WoW Classic could be possible.
This is my one true hope of MS buying Activision-Blizzard bring WoW to console.
Blizzard is always so lazy... hopefully the acquisition puts some fire under their butts.
On the other hand Elder Scrolls Online is better anyway.
There's an add on for Wow called console port I believe. It was a game changer. Really made playing WoW with a controller fun and highghly customizable. I've done mythic runs, pvp, and raids with it and it becomes second nature. Granted I'm also an avid ffxiv player with a controller and they based many of the controller schemes on that.
They have pseudo controller support baked into Shadowlands if you plug in a controller so I don't see why the game can't come to consoles. Obviously better reaction times for say healing I'd prefer with a mouse and keyboard and some ranked pvp was a bit difficult with a controller but not terrible. More cumbersome with more than 10 people. I'd love Wow or even a ffxiv port on Xbox.
@101Force I'd love to see that too, the games lore & characters are fantasitc
I h ave an extra keyboard and mouse just for my Xbox Series X... Not too sure why it seems to be impossible to make using M&K as controls for an Xbox game, even in special cases like this. They really do not promote it at all for the games it is fully compatible for now. Weird West plays great with Mouse and Keyboard, but I did not see that mentioned any where. I just randomly tried it one day and was like, Well would you look at that! haha
Ya.. MS paid billions of dollars to not have this game on the xbox.
@Arcnail To be fair, nothing has been paid yet. We still don't know if the deal is even going to go through.
This is ridiculous. Xbox has NATIVE mouse and keyboard support. I play Sims 4 on my series X with a mouse and keyboard...
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