Between titles such as League of Legends and Counter-Strike, World of Warcraft rarely comes up in eSports discussions. Yet the MMO offers a very diverse scene, explains WoW Director Ion Hazzikostas.
When World of Warcraft (WoW) was released in 2004, eSports was still a niche market.
But even back then, players were looking for ways to compete with each other. Two decades later, the MMO has a vibrant eSports scene. In an interview with eSports, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas explains how competition works in WoW and why it is so different from other titles in some respects.
Classic eSports in WoW’s Arena mode
Arena mode in World of Warcraft is classic eSports: two teams compete against each other in a confined space, usually in a 3v3 format – fast, tactical, with clear victory conditions. “We have a very experienced and talented group of players who love this kind of competition and action,” says Hazzikostas.
For them, there is the Arena World Championship (AWC) in North America and Europe. Teams collect points in three cups, and the three best teams play in the final; a final place is decided among the eighth to fourth-placed teams. Registration for the cups is open to anyone interested. The last season took place from March to May; with $150,000 in prize money distributed across all tournaments in Europe.
Interestingly, the arena was not even part of WoW at launch. It was created two years later because part of the community was craving structured PvP – and Blizzard delivered. The arena format continues to be developed to this day. “We are currently focusing on strengthening the base of the pyramid and making PvP more accessible,” explains Hazzikostas. This includes a new training mode against AI.
Dungeon speedruns at Mythic Dungeon International
However, what makes WoW special is not the PvP aspect – on the contrary: “Where WoW was really a pioneer was in PvE esports,” says Hazzikostas. He describes Mythic Dungeon International (MDI) as “five-player speedruns in which groups sprint cooperatively through dungeons and have to show off the wildest tactics they’ve practiced in secret for a long time.” His conclusion: “There’s nothing else like it.”
And he’s right about classic eSports – speedruns are a niche part of the scene, if they count at all. And even then, the level at which the MDI takes place is different: $390,000 would be distributed over the last event from April to June. After an initial time trial system, the top twenty-four teams qualify for the group stage, with the top two from each of the four groups then advancing to the global finals. “Much of the eSports landscape is about competing against each other. Here, it’s about showing your skills against the game and challenges we’ve created. This makes it accessible to a different audience that doesn’t like traditional PvP,” says Hazzikostas. World of Warcraft is a pioneer in an eSports genre where the game is the opponent. The only things that matter are your own coordination, strategy, and execution.
Race to World First: Where eSports grows organically
Speedrun elements also feature in another type of competition in World of Warcraft – perhaps the best known: Race To World First. However, this is not an official tournament. Nevertheless, the big guilds try to be the first to complete a new dungeon after its release. The reward: bragging rights – no prize money.
The races were one of the inspirations for the MDI – and many other aspects of the scene have also developed from the wishes of the players, explains Hazzikostas: “Our approach to eSports has always been organic. We never set out to develop an eSports title.”
He is not surprised that WoW has nevertheless become a platform for ambitious players: “I mean, if you develop a game that’s fun, appeals to a large audience, and has competitive elements, then someone will always want to know who’s the best.” And that’s the core of eSports in World of Warcraft: thanks to the community and its ambition, the game has grown into its own distinctive form of competition.