The gaming industry is a graveyard of fascinating lost projects, and Activision-Blizzard has its fair share of buried treasures. One of these, revealed in Jason Schreier’s new book ‘Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment’, was a project called ‘Project Avalon’ – a tantalizing blend of Minecraft and Blizzard’s beloved Warcraft universe.
Schreier, a prominent games reporter, described Avalon as a unique and enjoyable experience that had players excited. This ‘Warcraft Minecraft’ project, as it was referred to, was in development for a substantial period, around two years, before being sadly cancelled in 2015.
It was helmed by Jay Wilson, the former Diablo III director, and Mike Booth, a lead on Left 4 Dead, who brought their expertise to the project. However, fate intervened, and Avalon was shelved.
The cancellation of Avalon is particularly intriguing considering that both Blizzard and Mojang, the creators of Minecraft, are now owned by Microsoft. While Minecraft remains one of Microsoft’s most valuable gaming assets, Call of Duty has taken the lead. This makes the possibility of reviving Avalon, or a similar project, seem unlikely in the current landscape.
For now, fans of both franchises will have to content themselves with the plethora of Minecraft mods and community creations that bring elements of Warcraft into the world of building and exploration. Perhaps someday, the magic of Avalon will be resurrected in a future collaboration, but for now, it remains a tantalizing glimpse into a world that could have been.
