The Orc Statue

When visitors pass through the gates of Blizzard's office campus in Irvine, they immediately gravitate toward the Orc statue! A dear hero in Blizzard’s heart, the statue is a popular spot for:

• Meeting people ("Let's meet at the Orc statue!")
• Posts on social media
• Symbolic events; passionate founder speeches often take place in front of the Orc
• Holiday community projects
• 1 trillion photos and selfies*

The Orc Statue

Information

"Create a larger-than-life sculpture of a fearsome wolf-mounted orc warrior from Warcraft;" that was the challenge Blizzard presented to New Zealand-based Weta Workshop.

Blizzard worked closely with Weta artisans in New Zealand and China to turn the small prototype into a bronze behemoth.

After over a year of intense work, the 12 foot tall, 2 ton bronze orc warrior now stands watch in the courtyard of Blizzard Entertainment’s Irvine campus.

Creation

First Thing’s First: Modeling
A team in New Zealand scanned the original 12-inch tall statuette and created a virtual 3D model

Up Next: Details, Details, Details
The 3D model was then sent to a manufacturing center in China, where the artists sculpted, molded, cast, waxed, bronzed, welded, and buffed to turn the virtual presentation into a 12 foot tall statue.

Last, but Not Least: Delivery
The massive sculpture was transported from China to Irvine using a custom-built steel dolly and shipping container, and set into place with a crane.

Fun Facts:

• The sculpture was designed with a mechanical connection so it could be separated into two pieces to be transported.
• The sculpture is made of high-copper bronze, which is why the raw metal has a salmon pink color.
• The statue in Irvine is surrounded by a runed compass with Blizzard's eight core values at its points.
• Blizzard also awarded a version of this statue to World of Warcraft players who had been playing for ten years to celebrate the game's 10 year anniversary.

Orc and Wolf Statue Credits