Despite social distancing, many players are getting really into tabletop games. IfSteam’s recent Tabletop Game Festis any indication, tabletop games are becoming even more popular these days.
There are a few reasons for this, one of which is probably social distancing itself. Many players are more willing to jump into a virtual tabletop game where setup is easier than a cumbersome physical version. The tabletop craze has extended to creatives as well as players, including Chris Metzen. One of the great legends of Blizzard, Metzen was the primary visionary behindWarcraft,Starcraft,Diablo, andOverwatch. Now, four years after leaving Blizzard, Metzen has begun a new gaming venture in tabletop gaming.
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Chris Metzen is getting into tabletop development withWarchief Gaminghis new company. It’s a small group, at least for now, and does not yet have any games under its belt. As mentioned above, that’s not exactly true for Metzen himself. Joining him on this venture is Mike Gilmartin, who was the chief of quality assurance at Blizzard until recently. The goal, as stated by Metzen, is to get back to the roots of what made Blizzard so successful, when games likeD&DandWarhammer(with a helpful app these days)left big impacts on a small group of gamers just starting out.
By all accounts, Metzen is very excited about his new venture. Metzen left Blizzard in 2016 and retired from the gaming scene for four years. It seems that the time revitalized one of his early loves in gaming, and now he wants to expand on it. Specifically, Warchief is looking to create physical, rather than digital, tabletop games. While the market for these has somewhat stymied as players stop meeting physically and turn togames onTabletop Simulator, it is by no means a dead scene.
This is probably the best time for Metzen to get into making tabletop games. The lines between tabletop and video games are being blurred and explored more and more these days, with adaptations going both ways. Even fans are getting in on the action, including a recentfan-made tabletop version ofAmong Us.
Metzen left Blizzard back in 2016, but leaving the company has since become something of a trend.Mike Morhaime, Blizzard’s co-founder, left to found Dreamhaven, and these are not the only two examples. As the people behind the original Blizzard leave, it’s worth keeping an eye on the new things they create and lend their talent to.
