20 years of World of Warcraft: This is how the MMORPG entered pop culture

It has now been 20 years since Blizzard released World of Warcraft. The MMORPG has been actively played since 2004 and over the years has become so popular that even non-gamers know the name of the game. Appearances in world-famous series, sayings, memes and other phenomena accompany the classic game with its iconic characters.

World of Warcraft in series, music and film

“What happens in Azeroth, stays in Azeroth” is a nice saying that is alluded to the movie Fight Club, but it doesn't quite apply to WoW. World of Warcraft is now much more than an insider tip for nerds, it has a huge community and has even secured a place in pop culture.

Another insider who has also made it into meme culture is the loudly shouted “Leeroy Jenkins.” It's a perfect template for impulsive actions and dashing off without a plan but confidently. Every gamer has a Leeroy Jenkins in their friend group. And let's be honest, it just wouldn't be the same without this tempestuous but lovable guy.


In addition to language use, World of Warcraft also has appearances in some very well-known TV shows. Howard from The Big Bang Theory is a passionate WoW player and Ted also reveals in How I Met Your Mother that he once met a date while playing World of Warcraft. Well and Barney Stinson used the battle cry “Leeroy Jenkins”. You can also find this wonderful reputation in Family Guy. WoW is also discussed in Supernatural and Lucifer, as fan sites can be used as evidence and playing the game can be seen as an alibi.

However, the most famous is the famous WoW episode of South Park. In Make Love, Not Warcraft, Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny play and overdo it because they want to stop a strong player who is randomly killing other WoW characters. By spending as much time in front of the screen as possible, they also save time to go to the bathroom and think of creative toilet alternatives for their intestinal end products.

The game has even made its way into some films now. A visual nod to Epicus Maximus in Despicable Me 2, as well as a funny moment in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb when Nick admits his only experience with swords was in Azeroth.

And the music doesn't stop at the most famous MMORPG either. Well, that's outrageous! Wrote a song called “What Happens in Azeroth, Stays in Azeroth”, Lil Nas


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