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The World of Warcraft and Oilers crossover was something I never expected
World of Warcraft Edmonton Oilers
Photo credit: itsWozzz
Woz
By Woz
Dec 8, 2025, 14:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 8, 2025, 13:23 EST
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It’s not often that when you attend an Edmonton Oilers game, the organization does a cross-promotion with a video game. In the past, the Oilers have had advertising for the latest Call of Duty or NHL title.
On Saturday night, however, it was World of Warcraft that was centre stage, with the game’s next expansion, Midnight, advertised throughout the Oilers vs. Jets matchup at Rogers Place. Hours before puck drop, it was announced on the game’s social media channels that fans should tune into the game for a lot of hockey and maybe a little Warcraft.
This sparked curiosity among fans of both the game and Oilers fans, mainly because it was the first time World of Warcraft had been promoted at such a scale at an NHL game. If you do a simple Google search, there is zero connection between the game and the NHL, and the Oilers in this case, ever. If you’re a fan of both, you’d think this was some fever dream.
To get a better understanding, I asked Edmonton-based Warcraft streamer and partner, Kesslive, what this all meant.
Warcraft has been exploring innovative ways to expand its brand presence, and last nights collaboration with the Edmonton Oilers marked a bold and promising step into the hockey world. There was belief that many hockey fans north of the border also share a passion for warcraft, I can attest to this as my stream chat is full of viewers who enjoy both worlds, so the partnership proved to be a natural fit.
Oilers fans were treated to an impressive array of Warcraft themed experiences, from exclusive in arena branding, midnight game codes and cosplay showcases to a never before seen cinematic promoting the newly released player-housing feature, and what’s to come of it. On top of this the fans were also treated to a nice win from the Oilers as they start to heat things up in their season.
The success of the first collaboration was only the beginning. On March 6, Warcraft and the Oilers will reunite for a second special event, this time featuring limited edition crossover branded T-shirts available exclusively during the game for lucky fans. The game arrives just days after the early access launch of Warcraft’s newest expansion, making the timing ideal for fans eager to enjoy gaming, and hockey.
And what makes this so unique is that it has people talking?!
I’d say it’s just unique in the sense that Warcraft is one of the only MMO’s (Massively Multiplayer Online game) that’s been around for 21 years and continues to remain as successful as it is, and to see it continue to grow and expand into markets like the NHL is a sign that the game is healthy and won’t be going anywhere.
So for people looking to jump into a game that offers longevity it’s definitely the place to be. It’s also unique because these 2 worlds have never crossed over before, so for myself and the people who got to experience it last night- we were the first to see a collab like this and I think that’s pretty special for current and new fans that will come from last nights event
Usually, one wouldn’t tie hockey and a video game set in a fantasy world together, but the Oilers and WoW found a way. Now, let’s walk through exactly what unfolded at Rogers Place.
Before fans entered the gates towards the rink, Ford Hall had a banner advertising World of Warcraft: Midnight. Once inside, fans who picked up the game program would notice another advertisement, saying how this Oilers game is presented by World of Warcraft: Midnight.
During a TV timeout in the first period, the Oilers gave away a small item to fans in the lower bowl. It was one of those activations where they look for the loudest fans and give them a prize, this prize being a game code for World of Warcraft.
Throughout the game and intermissions, there would be more advertising on the scoreboard for the upcoming expansion, with the call to action being “Pre-Purchase Now.”
Specifically, during the first intermission, there was a more extended promo on the Jumbotron, a trailer showcasing the game’s new prominent feature, player housing, which, for Blizzard Entertainment, is one of the main selling points of this expansion.
Another activation that happened was in the third period, where two people were cosplaying as Blood Elves, a playable race in the game, who will have a prominent role in World of Warcraft: Midnight. They were sitting in the lower bowl, near the glass, holding a sign that said ‘Glory to the Oilers’—a reference to the game.
As someone who was in attendance and has played the game over the past 20 years, I can’t remember the last time a video game was advertised like this at an Oilers game. It’s most likely when Connor McDavid was on the cover of NHL 18, but that made sense.
But in this instance, we have high fantasy and hockey. Of course, money talks, and whoever came to the Oilers to ask about a marketing opportunity got down to business.
When World of Warcraft reached its peak subscriber count in 2010, the game was more heavily marketed in mainstream media, with commercials featuring Mr. T, Ozzy Osbourne, and William Shatner. The game was even were featured episode of South Park called ‘Make Love not Warcraft’ about the game in 2006.
Now, nearly 20 years later, the game has been promoted at an Oilers game.
As Kesslive mentioned, the next cross-promotional event between the Oilers and Warcraft is scheduled for March 6th, 2026, when the Oilers face the Carolina Hurricanes.

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