In a surprise announcement, Blizzard veteran Chris Metzen will be returning to work on the franchise he helped shape as a Creative Advisor on the Warcraft Leadership Team. The announcement was made by Blizzard's John Hight, who confirms that Chris's initial focus will be working on World of Warcraft.

For longtime Blizzard fans Chris Metzen's work at the studio is the stuff of legend, having helped shape the stories for Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, StarCraft, and even Diablo II. He also was instrumental in the creation of Overwatch. So yeah, massive news.

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— John Hight (@JHight_Gamer) December 15, 2022

"It is with great joy that I announce Chris Metzen has joined the Warcraft Leadership Team as Creative Advisor," writes John Hight. "Chris's focus initially will be on World of Warcraft, then his work will expand to other projects across this growing franchise. Chris was one of the original team members working on the Warcraft universe back when it began in 1994, and we are so happy to be reuniting him with the world he helped create."

With the release of the latest WoW expansion Dragonflight seen as a return to form for the long-running MMO, no doubt this news adds to the current positivity surrounding World of Warcraft.