Chris Metzen Makes a Comeback in Warcraft: Full-time Role as Executive Creative Director Announced

In a surprising turn of events, Chris Metzen, the ex-senior vice president of storytelling and franchise evolution at Blizzard, has resurrected his involvement in Warcraft. His reunion with the popular universe isn’t simply a brief visit, as he assumes a “permanent position” as the administrative artistic director of the Warcraft universe.

Metzen’s journey at Blizzard was remarkable and marked by many milestones. He was a mainstay in the company’s public image, renowned for his significant contributions to epic game franchises such as Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo. As the creative guiding hand behind the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft, and its hottest expansions like The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Cataclysm. He also steered the multiplayer first-person shooter Overwatch with flair.

Retiring from the videogame industry in 2016, the same year Overwatch hit the market, Metzen wished to dedicate his time to his family. Later, he took a gamble on board game design in 2021, presenting an adventurous project, “Auroboros: Coils of the Serpent”. In 2022, he gingerly reconnected with Warcraft as a “creative mentor” on the Warcraft series, a role that merely skimmed the surface compared to his current one.

“Chris Metzen has accepted a full-time position as the Executive Creative Director of the Warcraft universe. Presently, his main objective is aiding our World of Warcraft administration in devising the upcoming generation of excursions,” Blizzard acclaimed enthusiastically on Twitter. “Chris played a pivotal role in laying the groundwork of the Warcraft universe, and we are delighted to have him back in our squads, helping mold the future. Soon, at BlizzCon, he along with the team will disclose our current ventures and we hope you’re as excited as we are.”

(Image source: Blizzard)

On his jubilant return to Warcraft, Metzen twittered, “Working on Warcraft again has been wonderful. It feels like homecoming. The narratives we’re concocting presently — how the world transitions over the coming years… I am eager for everyone to witness our direction.”

This comment hints at a highly anticipated development: Many fans suspect that Blizzard will announce a fresh World of Warcraft expansion at BlizzCon. Since the launch of Wrath of the Lich King in 2008, WoW expansions have been introduced every two years, the latest one being Dragonflight in 2022, making 2024 the likely launch year of the next expansion, which aligns with a BlizzCon reveal in November 2023.

(Image source: Chris Metzen (Twitter))

Metzen’s return to Warcraft coincides with a period of transition at Blizzard. Recent subpar alterations to Overwatch 2 have left fans disgruntled and upset, while Diablo 4 still struggles to regain its footing following a disastrous launch. Moreover, Blizzard has yet to completely rebound from severe allegations of rampant discrimination and sexual misconduct within its ranks, something Metzen publicly apologized for in 2021. While he was not openly implicated in any offenses, he confessed that he along with others in leadership roles at Blizzard “fell short in supporting many individuals when they needed us because we had the luxury of inattention, non-involvement, and not creating required space for colleagues who depended on us as their leaders.”