Blizzard / World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic Trailer

Following Hurricane’s viral fan-made cinematics, Blizzard Entertainment tapped our team for the official World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Classic announcement trailer. Premiering at BlizzCon 2023, this project was a full-circle milestone for lead animator Radim Zeifart. We delivered over six minutes of high-fidelity CGI, bridging nostalgic lore with modern cinematic power.

The core challenge was producing the sheer volume needed to depict the Shattering of Azeroth. We showcased global destruction across nearly 30 unique environments, balancing chaos physics with recognizable landmarks. Managing hundreds of characters, complex spell simulations, and massive environmental shifts required pipeline innovation to meet Blizzard’s exacting standards on a tight schedule.

To tackle the massive scope, we developed custom tools to automate 3D asset extraction, turning hours of manual labor into seconds. This freed our team to focus on high-level artistry in Cinema 4D, Maya, and Blender.

We utilized EmberGen for real-time simulations of fire, smoke, and debris, ensuring Deathwing’s path felt visceral. Integrating actual game models with advanced post-production in After Effects and ZBrush maintained 100% lore authenticity while creating a cinematic masterpiece.

The trailer was a monumental success, amassing over two million views within weeks of its release and serving as the emotional high point of the BlizzCon 2023 opening ceremony. Our work proved that a specialized, agile studio could handle world-class IP at a massive scale.

By focusing on the Shattering from the perspective of the players, we helped ignite a surge of excitement for the return to Cataclysm, solidifying our studio's position as a premier partner for Blizzard’s most ambitious marketing campaigns.

What makes this project stand out is the deep-rooted passion of our team. Having spent years as part of the World of Warcraft community, we approached every shot with a player-first mindset. This project was the ultimate test of our studio's growth, proving that technical innovation can exist in perfect harmony with a deep love for the source material.