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 Universal's 2016 Warcraft film adaptation, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen" in a candid interview with Grit. Kotick, who led Activision Blizzard for 32 years before stepping down in December 2023, attributed the film's production to the departure of veteran designer Chris Metzen in 2016, citing it as a significant distraction for the World of Warcraft development team.

He described Metzen as "the heart and soul of creativity" at the company, explaining that the movie, a pre-existing deal Activision inherited, consumed substantial resources and diverted developer attention. Kotick stated that the film's production led to delays in World of Warcraft expansions and patches, adding, "You think about all these people who make video games for a living, and now they have the chance to make a movie. They're helping with the casting, and they're on the set... it's just a huge distraction."

While the Warcraft film failed to achieve box office success in North America, grossing only $47 million domestically, its international performance, particularly in China, propelled it to become, for a time, the highest-grossing video game adaptation globally, earning $439 million for Legendary Pictures. Despite this, the film's massive budget meant it ultimately was considered a financial failure.

Kotick revealed that Metzen, deeply affected by the film's production, left to start a board game company. Kotick later attempted to bring Metzen back as a consultant, but Metzen expressed dissatisfaction with plans for subsequent World of Warcraft expansions, demanding they be completely reworked. While Kotick stated that he and Metzen rarely spoke after his return, he credited Metzen's involvement with the success of a recent expansion, noting, "The last expansion, he had his fingertips all over it. It's excellent. The next one is going to be great." This last expansion indeed received critical acclaim, earning a 9/10 rating in a World of Warcraft: The War Within review, praised as a revitalizing experience for the long-running MMO.