Blizzard's next-gen MMO unlikely to be subscription-based

Blizzard Entertainment's next-generation MMORPG--codenamed Titan--may not carry a subscription fee or even be an MMORPG when it releases, cofounder Mike Morhaime said today during an Activision Blizzard earnings call.

"We're in the process of selecting a new direction for the project and re-envisioning what we want the game to be," Morhaime said. "While we can't talk about the details yet, it is unlikely to be a subscription-based MMORPG."

At the end of May, Blizzard confirmed "large design and technology changes" for Titan. He also made clear today that no official release date for the game has been announced so far.

The executive also pointed out that several developers on Titan have been shifted to the World of Warcraft and Diablo development teams.

Blizzard Entertainment's current MMO, World of Warcraft, is the biggest subscription-based MMO on the market. It launched in 2004 and had 7.7 million subscribers as of June 30.