Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick slammed Universal's 2016 Warcraft film adaptation in a recent interview with Grit, calling it "one of the worst movies I've ever seen." Kotick, who led Activision Blizzard for 32 years before stepping down in December 2023, suggested the film negatively impacted World of Warcraft's development, acting as a significant distraction for the team and contributing to the departure of veteran designer Chris Metzen in 2016.

Kotick described Metzen as the "heart and soul of creativity" at the company, noting his burnout following the film's production. He stated the Warcraft movie, a deal signed before Activision acquired Blizzard, consumed substantial resources and diverted developers' attention. He explained that team members were involved in casting and on-set activities, delaying expansions and patch releases. "It was a huge distraction," Kotick emphasized, adding that the film's poor quality was a major concern.

While Warcraft failed to achieve box office success in North America, grossing only $47 million domestically, its international performance, particularly in China, temporarily made it the highest-grossing video game adaptation. However, the $439 million worldwide gross ultimately fell short of expectations, failing to recoup its massive budget.

Kotick revealed that Metzen, deeply affected by the film's production, left to found a board game company. Kotick later attempted to persuade Metzen to return as a consultant, but Metzen expressed dissatisfaction with plans for subsequent World of Warcraft expansions, advocating for their complete overhaul. Kotick admitted limited contact with Metzen after his return, prioritizing Metzen's creative autonomy. He expressed confidence in the quality of the most recent expansion, stating it was "excellent," and anticipating the next one to be equally successful. This last expansion indeed received high praise, earning a 9/10 score in a review, described as "the best World of Warcraft has been on all fronts in many years."