In World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, new game tech and old code are at war

Game director Ion Hazzikostas faces a rough challenge for this fall’s World of Warcraft: Shadowlands expansion. Blizzard Entertainment must make a (sometimes poorly) aging game feel relevant and new again — while still remaining true to what people love.

World of Warcraft occupies a unique place in the gaming world. After 15 years, it still dominates massively multiplayer online RPGs in Western gaming, and people keep playing it.