World of Warcraft®: Shadowlands Delayed to Later This Year
Blizzard Entertainment announced that the release of World of Warcraft®: Shadowlands is delayed to enhance gameplay quality, with demand peaking higher than ever. The game is currently in public beta, and Blizzard is taking time for adjustments based on player feedback. Despite this delay, Activision Blizzard does not anticipate significant impacts on its 2020 financial results. A major patch is set for October 13 to prepare players for the expansion, including revamped character leveling and a pre-launch event.
- High demand for Shadowlands with record anticipation.
- Upcoming patch on October 13 to enhance player experience.
- Extending beta testing to integrate player feedback.
- Delay in game release from October to later this year may affect short-term revenue.
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blizzard Entertainment today announced that World of Warcraft®: Shadowlands, the highly anticipated new expansion for the company’s acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, will be released later this year. Activision Blizzard’s business momentum continues to be strong and the Company does not expect the change to have a material impact on its financial results for the year 2020.
“The anticipation and demand for Shadowlands is the highest it’s ever been for a World of Warcraft expansion, and it is important for us to deliver an experience that meets our highest expectations and those of our players,” said John Hight, executive producer for World of Warcraft. “With that in mind, we made the decision to do what’s right for the game and take the extra time, and we think players will enjoy this expansion even more as a result of the additional work.”
Originally slated for release at the end of October, the expansion is currently in public beta testing. Blizzard is extending the beta test and iterating based on great input from players, focusing on endgame-related tuning and polishing efforts that have been partially slowed due to the team working from home during the ongoing pandemic.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands takes players into the wondrous depths of Azeroth’s afterlife, where four ruling Covenants hold dominion over the realms. As they journey through the beyond, players will come face-to-face with legendary souls, create their own powerful gear through the ever-shifting trials of the roguelike Tower of the Damned, and face game-changing decisions about the closest-held beliefs of their characters. Beginning Oct. 13, Blizzard will roll out a substantial patch for World of Warcraft players in preparation for Shadowlands that will include fully revamped character leveling and other updates—and will culminate with a pre-launch event that will send players into battle with the army of the undead Scourge.
For further details on today’s news and to learn more about World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, visit www.worldofwarcraft.com.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multifranchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-two #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
About Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard, Inc. connects and engages the world through epic entertainment. A member of the Fortune 500 and S&P 500, Activision Blizzard is a leading interactive entertainment company. We delight hundreds of millions of monthly active users around the world through franchises including Activision’s Call of Duty® and Crash Bandicoot™, Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Hearthstone®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, and King's Candy Crush™, Bubble Witch™, and Farm Heroes™. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Blizzard has operations throughout the world. More information about Activision Blizzard and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.
*Sales and/or downloads based on internal company records and reports from key distributors.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:
Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about the availability, features, and functionality of World of Warcraft®: Shadowlands, including the pre-launch patch and event for World of Warcraft, and the impact of the change in release date on Activision Blizzard’s 2020 financial results are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
