Rumors of a Warcraft mobile game have swirled since way back in 2017, and it looks like 2022 will finally deliver. Blizzard has just confirmed that a new Warcraft mobile game will be releasing this year.
In its quarterly earnings report, Blizzard said that it is "planning substantial new content for the Warcraft franchise in 2022, including new experiences in World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, and getting all-new mobile Warcraft content into players’ hands for the first time."
Previously, Blizzard has revealed it was in fact working on multiple Warcraft mobile experiences that were in "advanced development" as of August 2021. Further official details haven't been shared, including genre or exactly what element of the Warcraft universe this will cover, though it's possible one of the games on deck is a rumored Pokemon GO-styled AR game.
If a Warcraft mobile game makes it out this year, it won't be the only mobile game from Blizzard, as Diablo: Immortal is currently planned for release as well in the first half of 2022.
As for what the rest of the "substantial new content" might be, keep your hopes tempered. It's possible this is just referring to new expansions or major patches, though it's also possible the company is planning to make another attempt at expanding Warcraft beyond the MMORPG after its attempt at a remake of Warcraft 3 fell flat for many. There's no telling what changes to regular business might be in store down the line following the announcement that Microsoft would acquire Activision-Blizzard in a $68.7 billion deal finalizing in 2023.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.