World of Warcraft: Forever's controller support is Blizzard's first step past PC

World of Warcraft: Forever launches with full controller support, and Blizzard is openly framing it as the start of something bigger. That's a first across the various versions of the long-running, PC-exclusive MMO.

Speaking to GamesRadar, series executive producer and VP Holly Longdale laid out the goal: "Play it wherever you want, and at some point on whatever you want."

She was just as clear about where that starts. "But the first leg of that journey is getting game pad working really well with World of Warcraft. We thought Forever was the perfect place to start."

Forever is a reimagining of the game's classic world and gameplay with new content and features, and it arrives November 4.

GamesRadar had asked Blizzard why Forever is skipping Xbox, even though Microsoft owns the studio. Longdale's answer pointed at Microsoft's next console, codenamed Project Helix: "I think platforms will be a bit more ubiquitous. I mean, honestly, we just want to be able to play it anywhere."

She also pointed to people running Forever on handhelds like the ROG Ally X, and even a modded Nintendo DS, as proof she means "anywhere" literally. "I think just doing some of the work on game pad is going to give players a lot of flexibility that goes beyond consoles," she said.

GamesRadar noted that the messaging echoes Xbox's Play Anywhere program, which lets you play Xbox games on console, PC and handheld without buying them twice.

Still, nobody should start clearing shelf space next to the Xbox yet. Video Games Chronicle stresses that a console version hasn't been confirmed. For now, the concrete news is a gamepad option in a game that's been played almost entirely with mouse and keyboard for 22 years, and that ships next week.