Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick slammed the 2016 Warcraft film adaptation as "one of the worst movies I've ever seen" in a recent interview with Grit. Kotick, who helmed Activision Blizzard for 32 years before his departure in December 2023, attributed the film's negative impact to resource diversion and creative team burnout, citing it as a contributing factor to veteran designer Chris Metzen's 2016 exit.

Kotick highlighted Metzen's crucial role in the company's creative output, stating, "Chris Metzen was — and is, to me — the heart and soul of creativity of the company." He explained that the movie, a pre-existing agreement before Activision's acquisition, significantly diverted resources from World of Warcraft's development, leading to delays in expansions and patches. The project's significant distraction, according to Kotick, impacted the team's ability to deliver timely updates.

Despite the film's international success, grossing $439 million globally (though falling short of breaking even), Kotick maintained his harsh assessment, emphasizing its negative effect on Blizzard's development cycle. He revealed Metzen's personal disappointment with the film, leading to his departure to establish a board game company. Kotick subsequently attempted to re-engage Metzen as a consultant, but Metzen's dissatisfaction with planned expansions prompted a call for complete overhauls.

While their post-reunion collaboration was minimal, Kotick credits Metzen's involvement with the success of a recent World of Warcraft expansion, stating, "The last expansion, he had his fingertips all over it. It's excellent. The next one is going to be great." This sentiment is echoed by a 9/10 review of World of Warcraft: The War Within, praising the expansion for revitalizing the long-running MMO. The director, Duncan Jones, also previously discussed his cancelled plans for a Warcraft trilogy.