Journey Creator Called World of Warcraft a "Salvation" and Inspiration for His Games

World of Warcraft became a "salvation" for Jenova Chen, creator of Journey and Sky: Children of the Light, and influenced his approach to game development. The developer said that it was the emotions and rare moments of interaction between Horde and Alliance players that inspired his future projects.

In an interview with Edge Magazine, the head of thatgamecompany shared that each of his games is connected to personal experiences. He described Flower as a project about longing for nature, and Journey as a reflection of loneliness after moving to the USA.

According to Chen, World of Warcraft became an important part of his life. He noted:

World of Warcraft was a salvation for me, but I couldn't communicate properly with people to form real, meaningful friendships.

He added that due to language and differences in perception, he was often perceived differently:

If I used voice chat, people would say my English wasn't very good then. And when my identity was revealed, I started to be treated differently.

At the same time, the developer recalls positive moments: accidental encounters between Horde and Alliance players without combat and "silent" interaction in contested zones. It was these episodes, he said, that created a sense of respect and connection between people.

These impressions later formed the basis of Sky: Children of the Light, a game with a cooperative experience without traditional communication. Chen describes it as a reflection of the gratitude he felt for the world of MMOs.