WoW: Forever Dev Says Players Want Slower MMOs

Ever feel like MMOs are just too fast-paced these days? You're not alone. According to World of Warcraft: Forever associate production director Clay Stone, there's a real hunger for a slower, more deliberate experience—and players are embracing it.

Speaking with PC Gamer, Stone pointed to the success of WoW Classic and Season of Discovery as proof. "We saw, certainly with the success of Classic and the response to that, it was more than just a nostalgic experience for some people," he said. "They didn't just play for a month. They fell in love with it all over again." The same happened with Hardcore in 2023, which drew in newcomers specifically because of its slower pace.

But it's not just about leveling speed. Retail WoW's seasonal structure has a downside: if you miss the start, you might skip the whole thing. Stone noted that many players avoided Season of Discovery simply because it was ephemeral. "Even though they had friends who were saying 'this is the best version of World of Warcraft that they've ever made!'" he explained. Forever aims to fix that by being a permanent home for that Classic+ experience.

Stone also thinks the current cultural moment plays a role. "The amount of information and noise that we're facing all the time, the distractions of all the notifications on my phone... there's a real longing for that slower, more deliberate pace," he said. And in the beta, he's noticed players actively trying not to rush. "There seems to be a deliberate pushback on this 'go go go' nature."

That said, Blizzard isn't abandoning the min-maxers. "We love them too. We think that they're great, and the endgame is going to be spectacular," Stone added. But the team is deliberately building Forever to answer the question, "Is it too late to start?" with an emphatic "no." Horizontal progression, which worked well for Guild Wars 2, is part of that approach.

So if you've been craving a more relaxed MMO experience, WoW: Forever might be exactly what you need. Will you be diving in? Let us know in the comments!