As World of Warcraft closes shop in China, “wow clone” Tarisland may not be all it seems.
WoW Wednesday: Tarisland - Has Tencent Really Created a WoW Clone?
Written by Ollie Bradley at 01/25/2023, 07:10 AM
In a tragic turn of events for Chinese World of Warcraft fans (not to mention Blizzard's bottom line), World of Warcraft is no longer being published in China. But as Blizzard continues its hunt for a replacement partner to publish their flagship title, China-based fans may soon find their WoW fix in a new game that many are accusing of being a "WoW clone".
By now, everybody will have heard of the somewhat awkward statue-wrecking cutting-of-ties between Blizzard and their erstwhile publisher in China, NetEase. A break-up that was made all the more awkward when Blizzard asked for more time to find a replacement partner. But now, a new game has been announced that is giving off some big "can I copy your homework?" vibes. And it really couldn't have come at a more convenient time.
Tarisland is an upcoming fantasy MMORPG from China's biggest video game company, Tencent, the publisher of such gargantuan games as League of Legends, PUBG, and Arena of Valor. And almost as soon as the trailer for the upcoming MMO was unveiled, people started to notice some striking similarities.
One of the most talked-about shots in the trailer evokes some pretty indisputable Deathwing parallels, while other Tarisland characters seem to be heavily "inspired" by the likes of Sylvanas, Anduin, and Jaina. In fact, the artstyle in general looks like it would grab the attention of any WoW superfan - which we can probably assume is the point.
Of course, WoW clones are a dime a dozen, and there are other features in Tarisland that distance it from being the "WoW clone" that people are claiming. For instance, while the artstyle might be familiar, the graphics are a pretty big step-up, the gameplay looks more Genshin-esque, and there is third-person action combat with a heavy reliance on dodging.
Plus, there are many for whom the trailer has had the desired effect as they enthuse over the prospect of a potentially decent new MMO. Either way, we currently know very little about the title beyond how it looks, and time will tell whether Tarisland is ready to shamelessly jump feet-first into WoW's grave, or simply provide a fresh new MMO for WoW fans to enjoy.