Warhammer Online retreats to mid-2008

Missed milestone forces MMORPG to march further into the future; EA CEO denies EA Mythic on restructuring chopping block.

In a conference call following Electronic Arts' second-quarter earnings report, executives revealed that one of its major games has been delayed yet again. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, the tabletop-inspired massively multiplayer online role-playing game, is now expected in the first half of EA's 2009 fiscal year, which begins on April 1, 2008. The game was previously slated for a March 2008 release, and now could come as late as September of that year.

The delay comes just one week after a leaked e-mail from Warhammer Online developer EA Mythic revealed that EA was planning a company-wide restructuring. Today, EA CEO John Riccitiello confirmed that his organization was pondering staff cuts, but emphasized that EA Mythic was not being closed, as had been rumored. In fact, the studio isn't being downsized at all--instead, it's being expanded.

"Frankly, this is a pretty straightforward situation," Riccitiello told analysts during a postreport conference call. "I want to emphasize to the team at Mythic that, no, we are not having you be part of our restructuring. That's not in the plan. We are investing in the growth of that studio, and the Warhammer slip is a simple one. They missed part of a milestone. [EA Mythic general manager] Mark [Jacobs] came forward and said it would affect quality if he held the March date. So we made the decision that, with the big investment we've got behind it and the talent and inspiration of the team, to invest behind quality. We're going to give it a little bit more time, a little bit more work, and we think we'll have a little bit more of a hit on our hands."

Today's delay is just the latest hairpin turn in Warhammer Online's long and convoluted road to release. First announced in 2000 by developer Climax with support from Microsoft, the game was canceled in mid-2004. The following summer Dark Age of Camelot developer Mythic Entertainment scooped up the project, which is based on Games Workshop's tabletop strategy game Warhammer. Almost exactly one year later, Mythic was purchased by EA, renamed EA Mythic, and touted as the publisher's entry into the MMORPG space. However, the game's delay, as well as EA's purchase of BioWare (which is developing its own highly anticipated MMORPG), cast some doubt on the future of Warhammer Online--and EA Mythic itself. More details have been discussed in an interview GameSpot held with EA Mythic general manager Mark Jacobs.

116 Comments

  • gifflegerbpiss

    Posted Mar 16, 2008 12:14 pm PT

    So many people are saying nothing can kill WoW but since TBC the game has begun to fall. Raiding is completely dead and your success in the game depends solely on how good your gear is. The entire game is a grind even once you hit the level cap when you're supposed to move from grinding to actually having fun.

  • Teh_Chiken

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 7:48 pm PT

    lol WoW raiding dead, ur just a n00b WoW player if u say that, or ur realm sux.

  • thekodaman

    Posted Dec 15, 2007 11:16 am PT

    Personally I think if the whole concept of this "world war" where you can actually change your environment thing is pulled off correctly it will probably be the death-knell of WoW.

  • DanzigThrall

    Posted Dec 7, 2007 2:18 pm PT

    thats not good I was wanting to get this oh well it will give me more time at playing Age of Conan

  • Crazyeye78

    Posted Nov 30, 2007 10:42 am PT

    Raiding is dead in WOW. It is set to self destruct.

  • adhesivespatula

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 8:45 am PT

    So says the man with a WoW pic for his avatar.

  • BlackRainDL

    Posted Nov 24, 2007 9:14 am PT

    Warhammer will be prob the best mmo out there in the pvp world but it still will not beat or compare to wow since they both are totally different in gameplay wise so whoever says warhammer will be better they are wrong

  • Kooken58

    Posted Nov 5, 2007 2:34 pm PT

    EA is not making the game, Mythic is. Mythic use to be a solo team but they EA on their side to get support to make Warhammer. Probably without EAs help mythic wouldn't have the resources to make it. If you look a previous mmo they made, dark age of camelot, came out before WOW. THen you will know that they will live up to their promise PVP-wise in the game.

  • Agermemnon

    Posted Nov 5, 2007 9:52 am PT

    @X-RS Necromunda was set in the 40k universe Warhammer is more like LOTR but with a serious dose of medieval europe added to the mix and then some , it was for me untouchable setting wise and it is still going in it's original formats , well done to all at Games Workshop , Citadel Miniatures and not forgetting White Dwarf for that , i see alot of people try and compare it to wow or wow to it but wow is nowhere near this , IF war is done right and i really hope it is this will be the only mmo to play .

  • Silencex

    Posted Nov 5, 2007 5:51 am PT

    :
    In the situation where you mean that the Warhammer universe came before Warcraft, that is correct, but we are talking about videogames here, so no, Warcraft games came earlier, and no, you can't compare Warcraft I (RTS) with Warhammer online (MOORPG).


    Not quite. There where already warhammer games (PC games) before Warcraft.

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Nov 4, 2007 6:03 pm PT

    Another delay. I can't imagine this came as a surprise to many. Pretty much every big budget MMORPG gets delayed many, many times before release.

  • X-RS

    Posted Nov 4, 2007 1:51 pm PT

    look i dont know the exact order nut i beleive it would be dnd>warhammer>warcraft. neways warhammer for me seems a lot more industrial/gritty but still has fantasy just not as in your face like dnd. (thats what ive gathered from reading necromunda)
    as much as i love it though i wont play this because i have dial up. yep, my rural area is still ignored. anyways as i dont know the world quite all that well, i hope an npc of kal jericho is in there. it also seem ae is learning

  • Shadow_Fax

    Posted Nov 4, 2007 11:05 am PT

    'Strathdor

    Anyone who calls this a WoW clone needs to wake up and do some research for the next bit because Warhammer came WAY before Warcraft even existed.'

    You are comparing potatoes with tomatoes here. Warhammer was originally a board game. WoW is a videogame. In the situation where you mean that the Warhammer universe came before Warcraft, that is correct, but we are talking about videogames here, so no, Warcraft games came earlier, and no, you can't compare Warcraft I (RTS) with Warhammer online (MOORPG).

  • AussieReviewer

    Posted Nov 3, 2007 7:23 pm PT

    The longer the wait, the better the game, i say. This is gonna be the best mmorpg ever. WoW was only succesful because it was released at a time where there was no competition, and it took every successful aspect from every other game and put it into warcraft format. Smart, but unoriginal and boring if youre an experienced MMOer

  • Avenger2099

    Posted Nov 3, 2007 4:43 pm PT

    Wow so many people complain about delays but delays are good, it gives the company more time to get it right the first time. Plenty of games with good concepts have been ruined so horribly because they've been pushed. So I say go ahead Mythic take your time! You seem to be making a great MMO that's worthy of the Warhammer universe so trudge on and get it to us when it's done!

  • prophet87

    Posted Nov 3, 2007 4:50 am PT

    how many more games are going to slip, gta iv, mgs 4, now this!

  • MasterChief725 posted Nov 2, 2007 7:11 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    MasterChief725

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 7:11 pm PT (hide)

    another MMO, I dont see what makes this one so special, not only that, I would not get it, It is EA!!

  • osleyee

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 3:41 pm PT

    hope is worth the wait i am proeble going to buy the game looks awesome this part of this stage.specially with rvr system o my god pleassssssse come to me warhammer online reckoning.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 1:46 pm PT

    well, I'm glad there's more people like me willing to skip this one until the WH40K MMORPG comes out, whatever year that happens

  • redstormrisen

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 1:28 pm PT

    Oni. And WoW wouldn't have happened wqithout warhammer. Thats what happens when your background is an almost perfect copy of the warhammer universe.

  • bjmage16

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 12:26 pm PT

    Quit with the EA bashing. The only reason you people do it is because you think it's cool. The truth is, there's a good reason why they're the most successful developer and publisher in video games right now.

  • nitsud_19

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 12:16 pm PT

    Again I'll say, EA is the tool of Satan himself, the only good thing they've done right, to say the least, is their NHL games.

    Hey! I'm Canadian

  • Oni

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 12:11 pm PT

    Doesn't matter if it came out 1000 years before WoW. Blizzard was the 1st company to get the MMO game style right. If it weren't for WoW there would be no Warhammer MMO. Anyway, I think EA is the worst thing to happen to gaming since the Philips CD-i. Sorry, but I have a lot of resentments towards EA and their shady business practices.

  • Strathdor

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 11:36 am PT

    Anyone who calls this a WoW clone needs to wake up and do some research for the next bit because Warhammer came WAY before Warcraft even existed.

  • enoslives7 posted Nov 2, 2007 11:05 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    enoslives7

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 11:05 am PT (hide)

    who cares ? ....WoW is better anyway

  • Sexy_Yofu

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 10:44 am PT

    Eh, as long as it's good, I'm fine with it being delayed.
    I jost hope it doesn't have to immediately compete with WoW:WotLK.

  • PRotypeTR

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 10:43 am PT

    I think this is not wrong. EA though for future and delay this game to Q2 2008. So EA wants a good stuff.. But they don't think what is player oppinion about this retreat..

  • Destroyeron13

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 10:28 am PT

    Its missing its prime time...

  • nitsud_19

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:57 am PT

    EA is a tool of the devil himself! plz just don't ruin Bioware. Well needless to say i'm not particularly waiting for this game, cause i saw video of it, and well, not much of a change, no genre leap here folks.

  • Netherscourge

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:52 am PT

    EA ruins EVERYTHING it touches.

    By time this game comes out, it will be outdated and obsolete.

    Don't even waste your time waiting for this game.

  • cooldude9980

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:50 am PT

    ffs tht **** runined my plans for the next year i hate EA mythic cant they have just set a realastic release time in the first place. And also they hould concentrate n making the game rather than making stupid video blogs which suck Paul Barnetts jokes are like 1 million years old if uve seen monty python there almost entirerly from that.

  • Chernnunos

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:47 am PT

    They can take all the time they need to make a game better than WoW, imo. I want this game to ROCK

  • ele975

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:44 am PT

    i'll gladly wait 4 years for this game to come out, the more work they do, the more awesome it's gonna get!

  • E3BigC

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:42 am PT

    Filaki, I might have been wrong about what I said. Apparently that was an unconfirmed rumor. 40K online may be an RPG.

  • E3BigC

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:37 am PT

    lol hwatney

  • hwatney

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:18 am PT

    SWEET! Sounds like this will be out the same month as Duke Nukem Forever! By then Intel and AMD will have their octa-core processors ready to hit market and my new GeForce 12 SLI setup will be ready to frag. I just hope I'll still have my eyesight by then...Social Security might not be around either...

  • Nepherate

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 8:35 am PT

    lol the people all asking for the 40k MMOG, apparently don't realize that the game has barely been worked on yet, expect a release date of 2010 or later.

  • Agulf

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 8:10 am PT

    Anyway, this cake is great. It's so delicious and moist.

  • dorohala

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 7:26 am PT

    There`s always goner be delays because the world is F*****UP!!!

  • MichaeltheCM

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 7:19 am PT

    bummer

  • Filaki

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 7:15 am PT

    @ E3BigC

    Don't really mind that it isn't an rpg, I just want to play as an Inquisitor!

  • mylastnerv

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 7:08 am PT

    Anyone who says this a WoW clone is an idiot, and needs to research some timelines. I'm fine to wait as long as needed, as long as they get this game as near perfect as possible.

  • SkankinForFalco

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 6:45 am PT

    Hrmph the race is on Conan or Warhammer?

    For me, Conan. This just looks like a WoW clone with a few new features.

  • wallywest

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 6:43 am PT

    Totally expected, but why even give a street date at all for mmos?

  • BigDaddy973

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 6:20 am PT

    I don't like that phrase staff cuts!

  • fluffebunnie

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 6:09 am PT

    Love Warhammer. Tired of MMORPGs.

  • Doolum

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 5:48 am PT

    delays should be taken as a good thing.

  • joeyfine

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 5:29 am PT

    no one should be surpised by this. you show me one GOOD MMO that made its street date

  • deshields538

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 5:23 am PT

    Well at least this way they should make it properly rather than rushing it into release.

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