Blizzard says it announced some major games early in order to ‘convey

StarCraft in 2030. Diablo V in 2029. These don’t feel like release windows; they seem like years plucked from the introduction of a film set in some far-flung future. It begs the question why Blizzard elected to confirm some of its next major releases so dang early. Luckily, there is an answer provided by Blizzard president Johanna Faries, and it’s a bit corpo and a bit understandable at the same time.

“We want to convey confidence in some of our biggest bets coming forward,” Faries tells Bloomberg. “We’re a Blizzard that’s going to ship, and ship big, and ship on time, and all hands on deck to set those projects up for success.”

This attempt to show a strong and stable Blizzard makes a measure of sense considering the layoffs that Microsoft has unleashed on the company before and the thousands more still waiting in the wings. It’s also why Faries says she wanted this year’s BlizzCon to be “a sort of oasis, a moment for real joy” for fans and devs while also focusing on “creating as healthy a Blizzard as possible.” Whether this is hot air or reassurance is up to you, but at least there’s some rationalization being offered if you were curious.

source: Bloomberg via PC Gamer