After months of speculation, Blizzard has finally shown off the firstWarcraftmobile game that it has created and it has been received pretty well so far. The game will be calledWarcraft: Arclight Rumbleand looks very much like aClash Royalegame with aWarcraftskin attached. Besides being set in Azeroth, the biggest difference between the two titles is thatArclight Rumblewill be focused more on the PvE side of things whileClash Royaleis focused primarily on PvP.
Warcraft: Arclight Rumbleis only the beginning of Blizzard’s mobile plans. AlongsideDiablo: Immortal, these two titles represent Blizzard’s growing interest in the market, and if both prove to be successful, then more mobile games set in these fantasy worlds are likely on the horizon.Warcraftspecifically has a whole trove of possible mobile games that Blizzard could pursue afterArclight Rumble.
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A WoW Pet Battle App
Perhaps one of the most requested mobile titles fromtheWorld of Warcraftfanbaseis a pet battle app.World of Warcraftallows players to collect pets and battle against other players, NPCs, and pets in a game mode very similar toPokemon. There are loads of pets to collect across Azeroth and Blizzard even introduced pet battle dungeons to the game. This form of content is entirely optional and gives players something to do while they wait to join a raid or PvP. It has also given collectors a whole new type of collectible and has seen them scour Azeroth to catch them all.
A Port of Warcraft 1 or 2
Warcraft: Orcs & HumansandWarcraft 2: Tides of Darknesskicked off theWarcraftsaga but have seen little love from Blizzard since; the titles are not even purchasable on Battle.net. These titles told the story ofthe First and Second great wars of Azerothwhich were pivotal parts of theWarcraftstory. Modern-day mobile devices have the ability to run these old titles, so Blizzard should consider porting them to a mobile platform. Doing so would allowWorld of Warcraftfans a chance to check out these classic titles, and it could allow Blizzard to modernize them a bit.
A port of the first twoWarcraftgames could be the full experience with touch screen support. The focus of mobile games tends to be on monetization, and as such, a port would most likely be filled with microtransactions. Alternatively, these games could deviate from the free-to-play model and instead become a one-and-done purchase. This would not be the first old school game to receive new life on mobile astitles likeRollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, Crazy Taxi Classic,andGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
RELATED:Blizzard Wants Arclight Rumble To Be a Warcraft Game First, Mobile Game Second
A Clash of Clans Clone
Warcraft: Arclight Rumblewill beaClash Royale-likegame, but there is another game that Supercell created that Blizzard could take inspiration from.Clash of Clansis Supercell’s other mega-popular game, and it already shares some similarities to theWarcraftseries. The title has players build up a base and then go to war against other players' bases. While the game is loaded with timers and microtransactions, the gameplay can be pretty fun. AWarcraftgame in the same style could be just as fun.
The first threeWarcraftgameswere real-time strategy titles, andClash of Clansis considered a strategy game. InWarcraft: Orcs & Humans,players would build bases, collect resources, make an army, and go to war against their opponents. WhileClash of Clansdoes it a little differently, the same core gameplay exists. AWarcraftmobile title that takes theClash of Clansconcept but puts it in Azeroth seems like a perfect fit. The title could focus on a PvE campaign going through the greatest hits ofWarcraftor telling a whole new story, or it could followClash of Clansand make it a PvP-focused title. Whatever the choice,Warcraft Clash of Clanscould be a lot of fun.
An Experience Similar to League of Legends: Wild Rift
In 2020, Riot Games released itsLeague of Legendsmobile game known asLeague of Legends: Wild Rift.Wild Riftis essentially the fullLeague of Legendsexperience modified for mobile. UnlikeLeague of Legends,World of Warcraftwould prove to be a much harder game to modify for mobile, but Blizzard may be able to find a way.Wild Rifthad to make some changes due to the platform like speeding up game times, and it requires touch screen usage which limits the number of button clicks. AWorld of Warcraftmobile title would have to do similar things, especially when it comes to button clicks.
While everything inWorld of Warcraftcould not simply be ported to a mobile platform due to the scale of the game and the type of game it is, it is not impossible.Games likeGenshin Impactand Raid: Shadow Legendshave successfully brought the MMO genre to mobile, while games likeLeague of Legends: Wild RiftandBlack Desert Mobilehave successfully modified a PC game to fit a mobile device. It would require a decent amount of restructuring of the game mechanics and gameplay, but aWorld of Warcraftmobile title could bring in a huge amount of players and make the game more accessible than it is on PC.
Mobile games have only increased in popularity and profitability, and Blizzard is just one in a long line of companies that seek to explore this growing market.Warcraft: ArclightRumbleis only the first step in a long journeyto deliverWarcraftmobile titles. There are so many more routes that Blizzard could take ifArclight Rumbleproves to be a success, and it will no doubt deliver more mobile titles in the future.
Warcraft: Arclight Rumbleis currently in development.
MORE:Diablo Immortal’s PC Release Is a Good Sign for Warcraft Mobile
