Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Fries expressed amazement at World of Warcraft's two-decade reign, attributing its enduring success to the developers' knack for striking a balance between introducing fresh content while retaining familiar elements that resonate with its loyal player base.

In an interview with Windows Central, Fries noted, "You want to retain players who have been with you for 20 years, and they have certain expectations.  With a game like World of Warcraft, you can’t make every expansion so drastically different that your core fanbase feels alienated."

Fries acknowledged the ongoing challenge of expanding the game's horizons while simultaneously catering to the core player base that has been immersed in the World of Warcraft universe since 2004.  The game's continued success is a testament to the feasibility of this seemingly paradoxical task.

She added, "Finding the right balance is a constant pursuit.  Different player demographics have limited time each day.  And the creators have certain aspirations, even before we think about commercializing the content."