"Irontide or Bloodsail, Defias or Freebooter" - The Pirates of World of Warcraft

04.03.2024 - 00:27 / wowhead.com / Mike Ybarra / Holly Longdale

Patch 10.2.6 introduces a new «unique event». While this patch has been kept off the PTR, and is shrouded in mystery, there are clues that suggest Pirates may be somehow involved — clues like the obvious pirate flag associated with the patch. While we wait to finally experience this patch ourselves, we thought it'd be fun to revisit some of the pirates of Azeroth, and their stories.

The Nightsquall

The first pirate that needs to be mentioned is Captain Nightsquall, a character we first heard about during Patch 10.0.7, Return to the Forbidden Reach. According to the lore book Return of the Nightsquall, this infamous night elf pirate captain hadn't been heard from for many years, ever since he sailed west. The western ocean is thought to be impossible to cross, due to violent storms that destroy any ships that try it, so many believed the Nightsquall to be dead. However, the book claims he has returned with the hulls of his ships «full to burstin' with treasures like ye've never seen before!»

What's more, the Nightsquall claims to have a new prize in his crosshairs, and to claim it, he is recruiting all the pirates of Azeroth whether «Irontide or Bloodsail, Defias or Freebooter» to his cause.

The Nightsquall is a fun story, but that's not the only reason we're leading with him. There is, in fact, reason to believe patch 10.2.6 will have something to do with this character. During the announcement that 10.2.6 would, indeed, be kept off the PTR, Holly Longdale called what they've created «a unique event inspired by past musings from the community». And if there is something pirate-related that sparked musings from the community — it was the Nightsquall.

When this book was first discovered, it sparked a considerable amount of speculation. Examples include videos from Taliesin and Evitel and Bellular, as well as our own article. Most linked the Nighsquall heading west to Avaloren, an unknown land mentioned in another Dragonflight lore book. But while speculation ran rampant, Blizzard seemed almost taken aback by how many theories were being built around one in-game book. Eventually, while a lot of the community still believed 11.0 would involve pirates and sea travel of some sort, Mike Ybarra tweeted the simple phrase, "No pirates". So while it seems pirates were never planned to play a major role in The War Within, an event involving the Nightsquall would make sense for 10.2.6.

If Captain Nightsquall has indeed discovered new land beyond the western storms, that makes him truly remarkable. Perhaps this is why the pirates of Azeroth — regardless of pirate faction — are willing to follow him. Let's take a closer look at the ones mentioned in the book.

The Irontide Raiders

We first met the Irontide during