'Warcraft 4' rumors: Fate of sequel depends on fans

"Warcraft III"Blizzard Entertainment

The "Warcraft" brand is arguably one of the most widely recognized names in all of gaming, and yet it's been a long time since a new real-time strategy (RTS) game from the franchise has been released.

It's been more than 12 years since "Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne" was released to the masses, and it would seem that the time is now for Blizzard to unveil the newest addition to the RTS franchise.

Unfortunately, a sequel to the popular RTS title does not even appear to be guaranteed at this point.

In an interview with Gamespot, "StarCraft II" lead developer Tim Morten indicated that whether or not "Warcraft 4" ever gets made could depend largely on what the fans will show to Blizzard.

According to Morten, Blizzard is eager to find out what players want to see next, and it is only at that point that they could make a decision with regard to what game they may work on. Morten also revealed that because Blizzard has been so focused on the development of "StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void," they have had almost no time to discuss any other title.

It's unclear exactly what Blizzard is looking for in terms of fan feedback, although according to iDigital Times, the company may be looking for some monetary evidence that there will still be a lot of support behind a possible release of "Warcraft 4."

There would seem to be no clearer way to indicate to Blizzard that there is a legitimate longing for "Warcraft 4" than to show just how widely supported another RTS title still is, and that may ultimately prompt the company to move forward with developing the sequel.

At this point, Blizzard is content to work on their other titles, especially with their other offerings such as "World of Warcraft" and "Heroes of the Storm" still doing relatively well, although all it could take to change their minds is a bit of fan support.