World of Warcraft

CHALLENGE

A Comic Book Comes to Life

The challenge: creating animated illustrations to educate players about the characters, some of which were created over 20 years ago, preparing the players for the next expansion. Why would players wish to engage with these characters?

STORY

Epic & Intimate

NOT YOUR GIRL-NEXT-DOOR STORYLINES

In the space of six months, three leading ladies took the spotlight: Jaina Proudmoore, the Alliance mage who will act as the final boss of the upcoming Battle of Dazar'Alor raid dungeon; Sylvanas, the undead Warchief of the Horde; and Queen Azshara, leader of the serpentine naga and big-bad-in-the-shadows. Each received her own Warbringers short in the summer of 2018 leading up to the launch of the expansion.

CONCEPT

Origin Stories

HOW WOMEN CAME TO RULE THE WORLD

World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment's massive multiplayer online RPG, has become renowned over the past 14 years for extensive storytelling. But in large part, its leading characters have been male. No longer.

DESIGN

Consistency is King

A HAND-CRAFTED ADVENTURE

The challenge was telling the inner story of the characters without words and keeping the story line dark. These shorts needed to maintain the artistic style-very painterly, very animated-that has been well-established by Warcraft over the years.

PRODUCT

A Big-Picture Game

LARGE STORY WITH SINGLE IMAGES

As World of Warcraft's massive conceptual narrative moves ever forward, players must experience the narrative through the lens of the existing characters. What are their stories, and how do they interact? Warcraft focuses more on story than on any one individual in the grand narrative.