Former Activision Blizzard Boss Bobby Kotick Slams Warcraft Film, Calls It 'One of the Worst Movies I've Ever Seen'

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick slammed the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation as "one of the worst movies I've ever seen" in a recent interview with Grit. Kotick, who helmed Activision Blizzard for 32 years before his departure in December 2023, attributed the film's negative impact to resource drain and distraction within the World of Warcraft development team, citing it as a contributing factor to veteran designer Chris Metzen's 2016 exit.

Kotick described Metzen as the "heart and soul of creativity" at Blizzard, stating that the movie project, initiated before Activision's acquisition, significantly diverted resources and developer attention. He detailed the consequences: delayed expansions, missed patch deadlines, and a significant disruption to the game's development cycle.

While the Warcraft movie, despite its international success (particularly in China, where it temporarily held the title of highest-grossing video game adaptation), ultimately underperformed against its massive budget, failing to break even for Legendary Pictures. Its domestic gross reached only $47 million.

Kotick revealed that Metzen, deeply affected by the film's production, left to establish a board game company. Kotick subsequently attempted to persuade Metzen to return as a consultant, but Metzen expressed dissatisfaction with the planned expansions, advocating for a complete overhaul.

Despite Metzen's limited involvement post-return, Kotick praised his influence on the latest expansion, stating it was "excellent" and that the following expansion is poised to be equally successful. This sentiment aligns with our own review of the latest expansion, which garnered a 9/10 rating and was lauded as a revitalizing experience for the long-running MMO.