Will There Ever Be A World Of Warcraft 2?

It could be argued that "World of Warcraft" is the MMORPG. After all, it's been the leading game of the genre for years, and despite its age, it's still worth playing. The game has been constantly updated and supported by Blizzard for pretty much its entire existence, only stopping development in recent months when the company faced a serious lawsuit and allegations of workplace abuse.

Because the game's been around (and growing) since 2004, it can be intimidating for some players to jump into. There are an almost overwhelming number of things to do in the game, to the point where it can even be scary to start from the very beginning.

Between the enormous amount of content and the dedicated player base, it's also easy to wonder if the world of Azeroth will ever see a full-on sequel to the monumental game. While no one can say for sure, there are a few popular theories making their way around the internet as to why fans might never get "World of Warcraft 2." 

There are several reasons why a "World of Warcraft" sequel probably isn't coming out, and one of the biggest ones is the fact that a sequel doesn't really need to come out at this time. Blizzard has stuck to constantly supporting and updating the original game, to the point where a sequel might honestly feel redundant. As Foxhound over on the Blizzard forums said, "If it ain't broke don't fix it." In fact, a press release from Activision Blizzard about 2021's success revealed that "World of Warcraft" had more engagement that year when compared to any other year in which an expansion didn't come out in the last 10 years — clearly, players are still enjoying the first game after all the time.

Other fans have argued that there's just not a market for a splashy new MMO, a concept that is kind of hard to pin down. After all, "Lost Ark" took over Steam when it came to the West, and even Riot Games has decided the market is ready for its own MMORPG based on the "League of Legends" universe. Then again, that Riot MMO hasn't made it to market yet, and "Lost Ark" lost almost 1 million players in the first two months (via Steam Charts). This could be a sign that people are ready for a new MMO, but it needs to be something that can actually hold their attention.

While many fans would love to see "World of Warcraft 2" become a reality, many fans still have major concerns that may keep them from embracing a potential sequel. One user on a Blizzard forum theorized that players might not want to leave behind the years of progress they've built up in "WoW" for a new game. Blizzard forum user Trilanni argued that even if there were a way to transfer progress from one game to the next, fans may still be hesitant to leave the original "WoW" behind.

Other players have argued that the game that everyone loves was originally devised by a group of people that aren't working at Blizzard anymore. Some feel like the current stable of developers at Blizzard don't quite understand what players actually love about "WoW," which has led to a lot of recent disappointments in the game. Just look at the horrible reception of "Warcraft 3: Reforged."

If Blizzard was to make a sequel to "World of Warcraft," some fans fear it would be made by a committe that doesn't understand its players. This could also contribute to players sticking to the original game, which could cost Blizzard a good chunk of change. After all, MMORPGs are expensive to develop. 

Blizzard actually tried to make another MMO to stand alongside "World of Warcraft," but it was a mistake that cost the developers a ton of money. The game, codenamed "Titan," tried to blend the MMO genre with FPS games and even "Sims"-like mechanics. However, after seven years in development, Blizzard shut it down before it was ever completed and released.

Since Microsoft purchased Activision Blizzard in 2022, there could be potential for the company to invest more heavily in another MMO. The deal is supposed to be completed in 2023. But even so, considering the long development time of titles like "Overwatch 2" and the unreleased "Titan," who knows how long it could be before fans see another massive title from the company, let along a sequel to its biggest and longest-running game.

Luckily, there are still plenty of games you can play if you're getting sick of "World of Warcraft" — and while you wait for any news about a sequel.