Popular World of Warcraft site Wowhead has datamined files found in the latest update to upcoming expansion Warlords of Draenor, and believes it has found Blizzard’s plans to immortalise the late entertainer Robin Williams as a character in the game. Williams sadly passed away earlier this month after a long struggle with depression and addiction.
The files reveal the addition of a new NPC called “Robin the Entertainer” who takes the form of a djinn- an obvious nod to Williams’ infamous performance as the Genie in Aladdin. As fans of the game have pointed out, the fact that he’s a genie leaves the character open to taking on other forms, a popular suggestion being a troll under the name ‘Jumanji’.
Another two additions to the NPC collection include a human female - most likely a Mrs. Doubtfire reference - and a human male, which fans believe to be Mork, from Williams’ sitcom, Mork and Mindy.
There’s no news as to where these characters will feature in the game, nor as to what their roles will actually be. Blizzard announced that they were planning to immortalize the entertainer in the Warlords of Draenor expansion just one day after his death. Williams was a massive fan of the World of Warcraft franchise and apparently took his characters very seriously.
A similar petition has been made for Nintendo to include Williams in a Legend of Zelda game, which has reached 100,000 signatures since its creation. No plans have been confirmed for the inclusion, but Nintendo did release a statement, saying “We appreciate the outpouring of support from the gaming community, and hear the request of fans to honor him in a future game. We will not be discussing what might be possible for future games during this difficult time, but we will hold our memories of Robin close.” Williams was a well-publicized fan of the Zelda games, even going as far as to name his daughter after the titular character.