For years now, fans of theWarcraftfranchise have been able to enjoy their favorite world both on the screen and through countless novels. Blizzard tends to not let a year go by without releasing a brand-new novel set on Azeroth. TheseWarcraftnovels take many forms and serve many purposes forWorld of Warcraft’s story. There are expansion prequel novels, retellings of in-game events, in-universe tales, stories set during expansions, and even history textbooks about Azeroth. These novels have provided some in-depth lore and much needed context for the greaterWarcraftstory, but they could be so much more.
One of the common criticisms that is levied against theWarcraftbooks is the fact that some very important lore has been relegated to this format. Instead of showing events likeGarrosh Hellscream’s trial inWorld of Warcraft, Blizzard chose to tell it in a novel calledWar Crimes. While the novel can do a better job of explaining the events and giving players a look into the mind of various characters, there are some events that fans wish were present in-game. Blizzard may not be able to go back and add these events toWorld of Warcraft, but it could take the stories being told in the novels and create small-scale video game experiences instead. Doing so would not only help players visualize these stories, but it could also help to capitalize on theWarcraftbrand while showcasing important events in Azeroth’s history.
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The Warcraft Novels Contain Boatloads of Lore
For years, theWarcraftnovels have helped to build out the world of Azeroth and tell events that players have only heard about. There have been many novels with more releasing almost every year that further shape Azeroth. These novels have been filled to the brim with lore for players to dissect and discuss. They have beenenjoyed byWarcraftfansever since the first one released in 2006, and Blizzard is showing no signs of stopping.
As of now, Blizzard has released 22World of Warcraftnovels along with sevenWarcraftnovels, and that is not even mentioning the big lore books or in-universe books. These novels have covered a range of different, and important, events in Azeroth’s history. TheWar of the Ancientstrilogy told the story of the sundering of Azeroth and the early days of some iconic characters like Malfurion Stormrage,The Shatteringset up theCataclysmexpansion and began the reshaping of Azeroth,Shadows Risingtold the eventsdirectly after Sylvanas Windrunner’s betrayalinBattle for Azeroth, andDawn of the Aspectsdepicted the history of the aspects on Azeroth. These novels have taken many forms, and the lore is just waiting to make it to the games.
Blizzard Should Capitalize on Warcraft Using The Novels
Blizzard has not done much tocapitalize on theWarcraftbrandsince the release ofWorld of Warcraft. Since it is one of the largest MMOs on the market, it makes sense that Blizzard would spend much of its resources on developing the game. However, Riot Games has found the time to capitalize on its mega-popularLeague of Legendswith multiple spin-off games, and Blizzard needs to do the same. Since the release ofWorld of Warcraft, there have only been two non-canon spin-offs, and that needs to change.
One of the easiest things that Blizzard could do is to take the various novels it has released and turn them into small game experiences. The stories have already been written, the developers would just have to figure out what type of game it could be. Maybe it takestheWarcraftfranchise back to its rootswith an RTS set during theWar of the Ancients. Blizzard could make an adventure game chronicling Arthas Menethil’s entire journey usingArthas: Rise of the Lich Kingas the source material. It could even release a game all about the events at Theramore withJaina Proudmoore: Tides of Waras the inspiration.
Turning the novels into video games would not only help Blizzard capitalize on the brand, but it would also help alleviate the criticism that these events should be in-game. If players were able to experience these stories without having to purchase the novels, thenWarcraftmay be better for it. While the studio does not need to stop releasing the novels, turning them into games could be a great step forward.
