'The concerns about claustrophobia were a major aspect' of desiging World of Warcraft: The War Within's underground zones, says director

When Blizzard first conceived of The War Within, the next World of Warcraft expansion that would literally take players inside the planet of Azeroth, there was one big worry.

"The concerns about claustrophobia were a major aspect coming into this, from the very earliest planning," game director Ion Hazzikostas said in a recent group interview with PC Gamer.

It wasn't just the confined internal spaces developers were worried about: It was the dark. Players have historically responded...